Melting a heart of ice
by Rose-1519
Summary: Kagome is an elf and princess to the Southern Lands. Sesshoumaru is a demon lord. Elves and demons have been at war with each other for years while humans are lost between the two powerful races. Then a wounded Sesshoumaru is captured by the elves... AU
1. Default Chapter

Melting a heart of ice  
  
Chapter One: Prologue  
  
It was the beginning of another beautiful day. It was still early, but the sun shone brightly, and there blew a soft wind. A view birds were in the sky, and down on the ground you could see a beautiful castle.  
  
The castle was big, really big. It stood in a valley, surrounded on three sides by huge mountains. It had several towers, and so many corridors and buildings, one would be easily lost. It was obviously this castle belonged to a powerful person. The valley itself was also beautiful, with meadows, a small village and down one mountain came a beautiful waterfall.  
  
Soldiers were patrolling the walls of the castle and its grounds. They all wore the same uniform, black with blue, and each soldier had a silver bow on his chest.  
  
In the courtyard, there was a big bustle. Several soldiers were gathered and preparing to leave. A tall woman with black hair was giving them instructions.  
  
She was beautiful; she had long black hair, which she tied up a bit, dark eyes and a bit pointed ears. Her gaze was cold; there was no emotion evident on her face. She just walked around, yelling orders and checking the soldiers and their horses. She had a bow in her hand, and carried several arrows on her back.  
  
Her gaze shifted to one of the towers, were the lonely figure of a young woman stood, and a small smile came on her face. But it was only a second, and as a lower servant came hurrying towards her, she had no expression anymore.  
  
"Kikyou-sama, her majesty wishes to see you before you leave," the servant said, bowing deep. Nodding once, Kikyou entered the castle, eager to get the talk over with, so she could leave.  
  
*  
  
The young woman, who stood on the balcony of one of the towers, sighed. She looked at the queue below, and closed her eyes, leaning back against the wall.  
  
The woman showed remarkable similarities with the woman who was currently giving orders to the soldiers, but there were differences. She too had long black hair, which hung loose over her shoulders, and a bit pointed ears, but she had dark brown eyes and instead of the other woman, her expression wasn't vacant. At the moment, all that shone in her eyes was worry and sorrow.  
  
She secretly wondered how long this would go on. This horrible war.  
  
It had started long ago, so long ago, that it was difficult for her to remember the years in which peace were in these lands. And it all began because of one jewel, which she guarded.  
  
In this world, there lived youkai, elves and humans. The youkai and elves lived in peace, although there were disagreements between them. The humans were a bit lost between them, as they had no power. Both youkai and elves had an extremely long lifespan, and humans almost considered them as immortal.  
  
The youkai were all strong, and lead by three lords, the Lords of the Eastern, Western, and Northern Lands. They had powerful weapons, amazing speed, senses, and the aristocratic youkai could be very dangerous. The aristocratic were of unnatural beauty, and some of them had markings to indicate their heritage. Youkai showed no emotions, and they would keep humans as slaves, because they saw no use in them, they were only weak beings, and considered as dirt.  
  
The elves were kind and gently. They too were of unnatural beauty, with long hair, beautiful eyes, pointed ears, and soft and gentle voices. Especially the women were great singers. They had healing powers, and the more powerful elves could practice magic. They were in everything the opposite of youkai. Whereas youkai had a face of stone, a vacant look, the elves had eyes who could express all their emotions, and they were not afraid of showing those emotions in public.  
  
They defended the humans and helped them, and never would they think of keeping them as slaves. Sure, there were human servants, but they got paid for their services.  
  
Nothing important happened, until some higher youkai decided to attack a human city with his people. The humans called the elves for help, and their queen at that time, called Midoriko, came personally to help.  
  
She was a beautiful and fearsome woman, who had terrible powers. She could purify youkai, ten at once, and a violent fight erupted. It endured for seven days and nights, and in the end, Midoriko and the youkai, who had united themselves, died.  
  
From Midoriko's chest appeared a tiny, pink Jewel. Her people were stunned at this, and they took the Jewel with them. After years of studying it, they found out that inside the Jewel, the battle still continued. It was a powerful Jewel, and when somebody would posses it, that person would get terrible powers. It depended on the person himself if these powers would be bad, or good. Would an evil person posses the Jewel, then there could only come destruction and killing from it.  
  
The elves swore to guard the Jewel, and they wouldn't use it, unless they had no other option. But as they were kind hearted people, no real threat was expected from their side.  
  
But they weren't the only people living on this earth...  
  
The youkai, so it occurred, were all drawn to the Jewel. They all desired it, it was as if the Jewel was calling out for them. It was as if it said 'come and get me', and that's exactly what they did.  
  
Many years had passed, and for something about fifty years ago, a new Lord came to power. His name was Naraku. He became Lord of the Northern Lands, and he was completely crazy about the Jewel. He tried to convince the other lords to join him and try to take the Jewel, but only one agreed; Kouga, Lord of the Eastern Lands.  
  
The other one, Inutaisho, Lord of the Western Lands, refused to join in any fight that would concern the Jewel. Along with him, his two sons, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, had no interest in the Jewel.  
  
But things can chance.  
  
The Lord was killed, by the elves, as is told. The elves of course denied everything, but the Lord's sons were furious and swore to take revenge. The eldest of them, Sesshoumaru, became Lord after his father, and he and Inuyasha joined Naraku and Kouga.  
  
Twenty years later, Naraku managed to kill the king of the elves. He attacked them by surprise, and the poor king was beheaded while he defended his castle. Naraku already thought he would finally get the Jewel, but he was forced to pull back, as the elves were infuriated.  
  
The king left his wife behind, and two daughters. His wife continued to rule over the elves and humans on her lands. The youkai only laughed, a woman couldn't mean any threat, there was no important person to coordinate their army, and they would loose if they were attacked.  
  
Little did they know about the king's daughters.  
  
The eldest of them, was Kikyou. She was a bit of a strange elf. She showed no emotions, like the others. But she could be very gentle. Also, this elf had a knack for weaponry. Unbeknownst to most people, except those of high ranking, she always helped her father when he thought of battle tactics. She was a master archer, and very clever.  
  
So when the youkai lead another attack, they got the surprise of their lives.  
  
They met an army that was perfectly organised, and to their surprise, it was lead by Kikyou. The woman had thought of a brilliant tactic and managed to win the battle and the youkai army was shattered.  
  
The other daughter was very mysterious. It was told she was beautiful, and very clever, just like her sister. She was also a master archer, but she would never take part in battle, because she cared for each living creature and couldn't stand death. She had incredibly healing powers, and was good at practicing magic. As the youngest daughter, she was the guardian of the Jewel, the Shikon no Tama.  
  
Her name was Kagome.  
  
The woman, who stood on the balcony, sighed again. She played with a tiny jewel, which hung on a chain around her neck.  
  
She felt a great sorrow as she regarded the men below. They were about to go to another fight, another useless battle, and all because of this Jewel that she had to protect. She felt sorry for their wives and children, because most likely, not everyone would return.  
  
She shivered as she thought about that fateful day, thirty years ago, as her father was killed. She had been hiding in the very same towers where she now stood, watching how her father lead their army to meet Naraku outside the gates.  
  
She remembered how she had tried to follow his figure, and she squinting her eyes to see what was going on. How she hated these wars. She had worried when she didn't see him anymore, but their army was about to win, and after Naraku and his soldiers disappeared, she had run all the way down the stairs, eager to meet her father, glad that he had survived.  
  
She remembered how she had screamed when she saw how her father's dead body was carried inside the castle, beheaded, blood everywhere. She still had nightmares about them, from which she would wake up, screaming and crying, and afterwards it was impossible for her to sleep.  
  
It had taken months before she would talk again, but eventually, she got over it. She felt no burning hatred towards the youkai like her sister, Kikyou did. All she wanted was for all this to end, but it would take years before something like that would happen...  
  
"Kagome! Where are you?"  
  
The woman's face lit up as she heard her friend's best voice. A moment later, a young girl from about sixteen came into the doorway, panting like mad. "Yeesh, Kagome, why are you always up here? Damn, all those stairs..."  
  
Kagome smiled a bit. "I thought you were used to it by now, Sango."  
  
The other girl grinned. "Well, obviously not."  
  
Kagome frowned as she looked at her friend. Another victim of this war. Sango was only a mere human, who lived in a village not far from this castle. Her entire family and all the villagers were killed during an attack of youkai, but Sango managed to escape. She had made it all the way to the castle, and Kagome had healed her. She and Sango immediately became friends.  
  
That was a year ago, and as Sango turned out to be a good fighter, she joined their army. The girl wore her battle gear now, and her favourite weapon, a large boomerang, called Hiraikotsu, was on her back.  
  
"So... you are leaving then?" Kagome asked sadly.  
  
"Yes. Please Kagome, don't look so sad. I'm sure we will win!"  
  
"I don't know. Just, be careful."  
  
"Kagome, you already told me that a hundredth times this day, same counts for Kikyou. Of course I will be careful."  
  
"I just don't get it, why can't you all stop this?"  
  
Sango gritted her teeth. "They killed my family, they killed your father! How can you be so forgiving, and even suggest making peace with those damn youkai! You can't trust them, they are all evil, and we all want just one thing, revenge!"  
  
The raven haired woman shook her head. "This will never stop, isn't it Sango? I understand you are angry, but revenge takes you nowhere. But well, I am telling you this for a whole year already; I guess I can't make you change your mind."  
  
"No, you can't. I have to do this."  
  
"Then do it. Just know I will think of you all, and tell Kikyou..."  
  
"... to be careful. Yeah yeah, Kagome, you are predictable. Well, I have to go. At least now I can go downstairs, instead of going upstairs."  
  
They hugged each other, and Sango disappeared, mumbling something and cursing towers with too many stairs.  
  
Something about twenty minutes later, Kagome saw how her elder sister appeared again and lead the army away, trough the ports, to another battle.  
  
*  
  
Miles away from this castle, more to the west, stood another person on a balcony. This time, it was a young man.  
  
He was... and there was only one word for it... beautiful. He had long, silver hair that swiped around his face. His face was perfect, as if someone had drawn it, and it didn't really exist. He had golden eyes, two magenta stripes at each of his cheeks, and a blue crescent moon on his forehead, indicating he was a youkai, and a youkai of a higher level none the less.  
  
He had no real expression on his face, it looked cold and pale, and it was as if he was lost in thought. He brought a hand up to his face and wiped a few strands of hair out of it. He had long, deadly claws, and two magenta stripes on his wrist.  
  
He then continued to play with the one of the two swords at his side, and sighed. It was time for another battle. Two days ago, a messenger had arrived at his castle, handing him a letter. Looking upon the seal, he growled as he recognised it to be that of Naraku.  
  
He refused to show it in public, but he hated Naraku. Years ago, the blasted youkai had come to him, asking, or more like, demanding him to join him in order to get the Shikon no Tama. As he had no desire for the Jewel, and had found Naraku's obsession with it rather dangerous, not to mention the youkai's demeanour (imagine, demanding him, the great Lord Sesshoumaru, to help) he had refused.  
  
But then, one day, he had found his father dead, in his bedroom. Nobody had noticed anything, not he himself, his younger brother not, the guards not. It was a real mystery how somebody managed to get in the castle, unnoticed, and kill the youkai lord.  
  
So, after thinking about it, he and Inuyasha concluded it must have been the elves. They practiced magic, even more than the youkai, and it was only way it could have happened. He had been furious; he never lost control, until then. He had called something about a hundred human slaves and had slain them, just to work of his feelings.  
  
After he had calmed down, he had felt a bit guilty, but only a bit. Yes, he was not afraid of killing, in fact, he even enjoyed it. But this was a bit too much, even for him.  
  
But he had shrugged the feeling aside and send word to Naraku and Kouga, telling them he would join them. And since then, he had fought by their side.  
  
The letter that arrived two days ago, told him Naraku planned another attack on the elves. He growled softly to himself, he didn't really fancy fighting them now. That bitch that lead their army, one of the king's daughters, was an enemy to reckon with. Normally he would have been glad, getting some exercise and challenge instead of just killing those idiots all in once, but this woman was creepy. She was so different from the other elves; that she made him shiver sometimes. Lord Sesshoumaru was famous for his death glares, one look of him, and everyone, from lower servant to a lord, would shiver. But she didn't. She had laughed at him once, a few years ago, and had challenged him. They had fought for hours, and he was positive he would have won, but she put some spell on him, and after awhile, she just disappeared, saying they would end this one day.  
  
He silently wondered if that could be today.  
  
He would make sure he would kill her, slowly and steadily, maybe cut one of her arms off, or maybe a leg? No matter what, she would have to suffer. He grinned evilly. Yes, that damn bitch was dead. And once she was dead, he would get her mother, and her sister.  
  
They would pay for what they did.  
  
He looked impassive at his army that was gathering in the courtyard. He had trusted his younger brother with the task of preparing the soldiers, but it didn't went very well, he stated.  
  
Sighing once more, he went downstairs, to help his brother. Or well help... just corrected him, and teach him a lesson, more like.  
  
*  
  
Miles away from Sesshoumaru's castle, a whole army was already waiting for the Lord's arrival. This army was lead by a dark haired man, and it was obviously his men were afraid of him. Every time he would order something, his men would bow and wince at hearing his voice. The man obviously enjoyed it, and as one soldier was a bit too slow at obeying to his master's wishes, he ended up with his throat slit up.  
  
Naraku chuckled evilly. Lord Sesshoumaru and Lord Kouga would arrive soon. Good. It was time to attack those annoying elves, and their worthless human friends. It was time for some blood to spill, and with a bit of luck, this time it could by Kikyou's, that bitch who thought she could challenge him, leading an army like a man, fighting like a man. But in the end, she was just a woman, and he would teach her a lesson, killing her, or maybe making her his slave. Oh that would be great...  
  
But his main target was the Shikon no Tama. He hated it that Lord Sesshoumaru was more powerful than he was. Oh yes, he had a lot of power, but to his standards, it was not enough. He wanted more, and the Jewel could give him that.  
  
He had heard about how powerful it was, giving its owner incredible powers. And the things he would do once he got it...  
  
He turned and looked down at some servant, who was trembling. "L-lord Naraku?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Lord Kouga and Lord Sesshoumaru are here and wish to speak to you."  
  
"Tell them I will come. We will leave soon."  
  
"Y-yes my Lord."  
  
Chuckling, Naraku got of his horse and walked towards the two other Lords.  
  
Yes, he decided. It was time to go and get that Jewel...  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Well, I only ask one thing here, please review! This is just a sort of prologue, more characters will appear in later chapters, and Sesshoumaru and Kagome will meet each other soon... 


	2. Chapter Two: Captured

Chapter Two: Captured  
  
Sesshoumaru was positive he would get a headache.  
  
He was sitting on his horse, proud, surveying his men. To his right was his little brother Inuyasha. Approaching them was Kouga, Lord of the Eastern Lands.  
  
Problem was, Inuyasha and Kouga couldn't stand each other.  
  
How many times had he lectured them about their behaviour, how it wasn't appropriate? It was as if they never listened to him, because every time they met, again and again, they would throw insults at each other and sometimes, they would even fight.  
  
Sesshoumaru had to admit; the wolf prince was annoying. He was arrogant, spoiled, and said everything that came to his mind, whether it was insulting or complimenting, Kouga didn't care. This angered Sesshoumaru, who always thought about what he said, carefully considering what the consequences of certain pronouncements could be.  
  
Inuyasha began growling and Sesshoumaru gave him a deadpan look. His brother however wasn't intimidated the least, and went from growling to yelling at Kouga, who was right before them now.  
  
"Hey, wimpy wolf, decided to show your face again? I thought you would stay at home, like a coward."  
  
"Oi, dog turd, YOU are the coward here."  
  
"Why you bastard!"  
  
"Have something to say, asshole?"  
  
Sesshoumaru merely sighed and ignored the two bickering youkai. Instead, he turned his horse to survey the combined armies.  
  
There was no doubt, that elven bitch would get it tough this time. She would be lucky if she survived the day.  
  
Yet he still felt a bit uneasy. All Naraku's letter had told him, was that Kikyou challenged Naraku to fight against her, in the same valley where they were currently camping.  
  
It was strange, because the elves hated fights and deaths, so it were usually the youkai who attacked the elves, and not the other way round, like now. Most of the past battles were fought near the most important fortress of the elves.  
  
It was a huge – and he had to admit, beautiful – castle. It was were the royal family lived, which meant that the queen's youngest daughter was there too. Add the fact that she's the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, and you immediately understand why Naraku always attacked this castle. Once you got this castle, you got her, and once you got her, you got the Jewel.  
  
Sesshoumaru must admit, he was curious about her.  
  
He had heard the usual stories and gossip about her; about how beautiful she apparently was, that she had incredibly power, maybe even more power than Midoriko once had.  
  
He had always thought these stories to be nonsense, most likely, she was so ugly, no man would look twice at her, and her power would be equal to that of a average elf, and only become stronger if she used the Jewel.  
  
But then again, he had heard numerous stories about Kikyou too, and thought them to be nonsense, but most of them had turned out to be true...  
  
So now he wished he could see this mysterious girl once, to test her power and see it for himself.  
  
After that, he would kill her of course.  
  
But well, before Naraku or he or Kouga would manage to set one single step inside that castle and near her, a miracle would have to happen. They surely wouldn't succeed in taking that castle as long as Kikyou lead their army and fought against them.  
  
He didn't know how wrong he was...  
  
*  
  
Kagome was still standing on the balcony of the same tower, lost in thought. She followed their army as it steadily marched away, until it disappeared out of sight as the road made a sharp angle to the right.  
  
She gazed up to the sky once and then looked before her again. She stretched her arms out before her and closed her eyes. Her black hair and long dress fluttered behind her as suddenly a strong wind blew.  
  
And then, there appeared a sort blue light, it began glowing at her hands, until she was giving of light with her entire body. She began whispering something in a strange language, and suddenly, a bright light bursted out of her hands, literally. It took the form of an eagle, and it flew into the same direction as were the army went.  
  
After a few seconds, the light around Kagome disappeared, and she opened her eyes again and smiled. "Sorry you guys, but that's all I can do for now," she whispered into the air.  
  
Her expression became a bit sad again, that is, until she noticed a tiny figure, metres below her position, which was a young, handsome man, dressed as a monk in black and purple robes.  
  
"Oi, Kagome, come down here!"  
  
The young woman grinned, sprinted down the stairs, storming through several corridors, giving a view servant a heart attack, until she came into the main hall.  
  
Opening the huge oaken doors, she stormed out into the courtyard and bumped right into a grinning boy.  
  
"Miroku! I thought you went with Sango and Kikyou?"  
  
"Well, eh, Kikyou told me it wasn't necessary for me to come."  
  
Kagome frowned. "Why? She's going to fight against all three youkai lords, she needs all the men she can get!"  
  
Miroku chuckled. "Don't tell me you didn't notice."  
  
Kagome looked confused at the boy before her. He too was a victim of Naraku. His grandfather had been an advisor of her father, and one of his best friends. His grandfather was cursed by Naraku. Every male in the family from now on would have a black whole in their right hand, which sucked everything in it, and it would grow with the years, sucking its owner in too, in the end.  
  
The curse could only be lifted once Naraku was killed, and that's exactly what Miroku swore he would do.  
  
He had come to the castle and proclaimed he wanted to join their army. He was just a human, but there were more humans in the elven army, so Kikyou allowed him to join them. He had become friends with Kagome and Sango and you often found them together. Also, he would give the queen advises, just like his grandfather did once.  
  
"N-no. What should I have noticed?"  
  
"Maybe you should have noticed how small Kikyou's army was?"  
  
"It wasn't small! The whole place was crowded!"  
  
"Well, that only shows how little you know about wars. Just take my word for it, her army was VERY small."  
  
"B-but why is she going with so view men? That's suicide!" Kagome cried.  
  
Miroku sighed. "Calm down, don't you get it?"  
  
"Eh... no?"  
  
"A large part of our army is located somewhere else, the part which left this morning is just a diversionary manoeuvre. I think Kikyou is up to something. Why else would she challenge Naraku?"  
  
"S-she CHALLENGED Na- ... HIM?!"  
  
"You didn't know?"  
  
"NO! Is she gone crazy?!"  
  
"I asked her the same question. She just smiled a bit and said 'you'll see'. Do you have any idea what she would want to do?"  
  
"No. Must be some of her tactics, don't ask me."  
  
"Well never mind, I'm sure whatever she does, it will be the right thing to do. On to my next question; what nice little spell did you just perform?"  
  
"So you noticed huh?"  
  
He grinned and slung one arm around her shoulder. Ignoring the girl's warning glare, he answered. "Of course my Lady. I noticed your nice little eagle flying over. All your spells take on that form, and are that powerful, so it's hard to not notice them."  
  
"Stop flattering me. It's nothing important, just some spell that will help them."  
  
"Ah... one of your little blessing spells?"  
  
"Something like that. Don't worry, I didn't curse them."  
  
"Oh I would never think that, my beautiful Lady!"  
  
Kagome quirked a brow. "What, Sango's gone, so now you are playing your little act on me?"  
  
"No, but if you want..." his hand left her shoulder and travelled down. "... I can do that."  
  
Kagome stiffened as she felt his hand on a 'certain' place. She shrieked and turned quickly, throwing her hands out to Miroku. There was a bright light, and a second later, Miroku lay on the ground, stiff as a board, unable to move. All he could do, was blink with his eyes.  
  
A servant came hurrying towards them and bowed, smiling. "Kagome-sama, shall I carry him away?"  
  
Kagome smiled herself and nodded. "Very well. I will lift the curse in... let's say... a couple of hours?"  
  
The servant was laughing now and disappeared to get some help so they could bring Miroku to his room.  
  
*  
  
"Oh my, what a lovely sight!"  
  
Sesshoumaru turned his head to see Naraku staring at Kouga and Inuyasha. He raise on single silver brow. "I do not know what one could find 'lovely' at the sight of two idiots fighting."  
  
"Oh, everything, Lord Sesshoumaru, everything. Rows and fighting are the best things of life."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
"I do. Now, can we go on with planning our strategy?"  
  
"Very well."  
  
*  
  
Sango silently watched Kikyou from the corner of her eyes. She had to admit, the princess was a great warrior. She respected her, and would gladly follow her orders. But the plan Kikyou had developed now... it was risky, dangerous, stupid, in one word; suicide.  
  
Sango was glad Kikyou hadn't told Kagome or Miroku about it, because else she would have to listen to a thousand more 'be careful'. Of course would be careful!  
  
Kikyou's soft voice startled her from her thoughts. "You are worried," the elf stated. "You think I am crazy for even thinking about doing this."  
  
"Of course I am worried! And so is everyone else."  
  
Kikyou turned to her and flashed her one of her rare smiles. "Trust me Sango. Just think of what an advantage it would be if we would succeed..."  
  
"And will we succeed?"  
  
The elven princess held up her hand and watched how it began to glow in a blue light. "We will succeed."  
  
*  
  
How he hated waiting.  
  
Sesshoumaru was playing with Toukijin, one of his swords, as he let his gaze wander over his men once more.  
  
Naraku and his men were positioned in the middle of the valley, Kouga to the right, and he to the left. He watched every soldier, one by one, with a trained gaze, judging them.  
  
Naraku's men were, unlike his and Kouga's, on horses. They were strong, and good soldiers, but Sesshoumaru doubted they would be very loyal. Not with the way Naraku threaded them. But well, the Lord of the Northern Lands had his own ways of ensuring nobody would betray him...  
  
Then Kouga and his wolves. Also, good, decent soldiers, but nothing more. They were the weakest of all, and he especially hated the fact that those wolves showed emotions. Imagine, a youkai showing emotions... he shook his head.  
  
Then, he looked at his own men. Each one of them had the symbol of his house on their chest; a huge white dog. He was not a person to swank, but he was proud of them. They were strong, some of them could practice magic, and they were definitely loyal.  
  
If not, they wouldn't be walking around with their heads still attached to their bodies.  
  
He had discarded his horse; he preferred to fight with his feet on the ground. So did most of his soldiers.  
  
He kept thinking their tactics over and over in his head. It was Naraku's plan, and to be honest, he didn't like it.  
  
Naraku was clever, no doubt there, but he had this stupid feeling something was amiss. Something just didn't fit; there was a jaw in this plan somewhere.  
  
He was still pondering about what that could be, when Inuyasha elbowed him hard in his side. "She's here."  
  
Looking up, he saw the figure of a tall, black haired woman. His face lit up in an evil grin, and he chuckled. He would kill that bitch, she was annoying.  
  
When he shifted his gaze to look at her army, the only thing that kept him from dropping his jaw, were years of training to hide any emotion.  
  
'Is she CRAZY?!' was all he could think. 'She surely doesn't expect to win the battle with... this?!'  
  
His brother however failed miserably to hide his thoughts. His jaw almost dropped to the ground from shock, and his eyes grew wide.  
  
Their combined armies were, together, thousands and thousands of soldiers.  
  
The army that was facing them, had only a few hundred.  
  
"She is CRAZY," Inuyasha stated.  
  
"No," Sesshoumaru started as he realised something. "... not crazy, but brilliant."  
  
As his brother began screaming about how the HELL this could be brilliant, he thought about how stupid he had been to not see the very obvious mistake in their tactics.  
  
They had concentrated too much on the front of their armies, right there were Kikyou would show up. And they had forgotten to cover their back...  
  
He would bet anything that the elf had stationed a large part of her army BEHIND them, on exactly that place where they would expect it the least.  
  
It had been brilliant, yes, until he had seen right through it.  
  
He turned and called out for Jaken, his toad like servant. Jaken came hurrying towards him and practically throwed himself for Sesshoumaru's feet.  
  
"This humble servant is willing to obey to his master's wishes," the toad cried.  
  
His master rolled his eyes and kicked him. "Jaken, get up and make sure you are by the back of or army within seconds. Tell them to keep a look out; we expect an attack from behind."  
  
The poor toad opened his mouth, and shut it again, much like a fish. "An a- attack from b-behind, my Lord?!"  
  
Sesshoumaru ignored him and drew Toukijin. He held the sword before him and concentrated on his youki, making the sword glow and crackle with power. "I think Toukijin longs to cut a nice little body today," he stated.  
  
Jaken jumped at hearing this, and bowing again, he ran away, screaming to everyone to move when they were in his way. One could hear his wailing going on for minutes, until it went quiet, and he presumably reached the back of their army.  
  
Inuyasha, who had heard his brother's words, frowned. "So this is what she was planning? I must admit, she's not that stupid after all."  
  
"Never underestimate an enemy, Inuyasha, mark my words," Sesshoumaru growled, looking with a wicked smile at Kikyou. "But now we know what she's up to, and we will stop her. Go and inform Naraku and Kouga about our discovery. I would prefer for them to find out by their selves, but we could loose if they don't know."  
  
"I'm already gone," Inuyasha yelled and a second later, a blur of silver and red raced trough the crowd of soldiers.  
  
*  
  
Sango nervously shifted Hiraikotsu, a large boomerang, her favourite weapon, from her left to her right hand as soon as she noticed how the opposite army turned partly, facing them, and also facing the still empty opposite mountainside.  
  
"Kikyou, they know it. They figured it out, look! They expect us to attack from behind! Damn!"  
  
"Calm down Sango, it doesn't matter."  
  
"Why?!" Sango cried, worried they would loose.  
  
"Because now they expect the most danger coming from that way, and will think this part is useless, a mere diversionary manoeuvre."  
  
"But we are..."  
  
"No, we are not. If they should be afraid...," Kikyou took an arrow and spanned her bow. "... they should be afraid of us..."  
  
*  
  
Tension hang thick in the air as both armies faced each other. Nobody moved, it was silence before the upcoming storm. Sesshoumaru growled, why didn't Naraku attack?  
  
He wouldn't have to wait long, because seconds later, a horn clang, and Naraku's army began moving. On cue, he and Kouga yelled their commands to their armies, and they advanced upon Kikyou's.  
  
Battle cries were soon being heard from everywhere, and soon, the smell of blood and death invaded his senses. He ignored it, and continued to slash trough every person that came in his way. Unbeknownst to everyone, he kept watching their back, and as after a thirty minutes, when most of their army was busy with Kikyou's, another army appeared from behind, he silently cheered. He had been right, Kikyou wanted to attack them from behind.  
  
Jaken had done a good job of informing his men, because more had been watching the opposite mountainside, and they turned to fight the new men that arrived. He watched and as he ensured everything went well, he turned towards the few hundred elves before him. His eyes followed the figure of Kikyou, who was running around, yelling commands, and firing arrows, taking down quit a lot of his men.  
  
He slashed Toukijin down, killing every elf that stood between him and Kikyou, and using his enormous speed, he stood before her within a second.  
  
She smiled at him and cocked her head. "You are as alert and clever as always, Lord Sesshoumaru," she stated, pointing at the fight that was going on at the other side of the valley.  
  
"Bitch, your tactic was simple, and therefore predictable," he spat. "Now stop talking and fight."  
  
She spanned her bow and pointed an arrow at his chest. "As you wish."  
  
At that, she let go of the arrow, but he dodged it quickly and trusted another blow of Toukijin her way. Unfortunately, she was quick and threw up a barrier.  
  
She prepared to shoot another arrow at him, and he chuckled. "Foolish elf," he spat. "I will dodge every single arrow that comes from you; with my speed, you can not wound me."  
  
"I wouldn't think so."  
  
She smiled a bit mysterious, and several alarm bells were going of inside his head. She was an elf, elves could practice magic, and with that magic, she could curse him.  
  
But it was too late.  
  
A blue light shot out of her hands, and it went so fast towards him, he couldn't dodge it. He screamed as a terrible pain waved trough his body and he fell to his knees. As she shot another arrow at him, he was unable to dodge it, and she smiled triumphantly.  
  
He was aware of the fact that his senses faded away, he could barely hear, see or smell anything. He coughed and glared at a vague figure which he presumed was Kikyou. "Bitch, what did you do?"  
  
"I sealed your youki away. At the moment, you are something similar to a human, or even worse. This spell will last a day or two, in which you will come with us. I think you could be of use to us."  
  
He tried to stand, to fight her, but she was right, he felt different, he felt weak. Damn, of all the things she could do to him, did it have to be something like this? He hated humans, and the mere idea of being like them for TWO days made he wanted to throw up. Or maybe it was just because of the spell, he didn't know.  
  
He was aware of the fact that he was picked up, and carried away from the battle. Now he understood what Kikyou's tactic had been. She had wanted him to concentrate on the back, to send most of his army that way, and for him to come her way, almost alone, so that nobody, not Inuyasha or his soldiers, could possibly help him. This whole thing of Kikyou challenging Naraku had just been arranged so they could capture him.  
  
Before he fell unconscious, he heard Kikyou talking to another person. "See Sango, I told you we would succeed."  
  
*  
  
Kagome had gone to Miroku's room to free the poor monk of her curse. At the moment, he was stretching his legs and arms, and glaring daggers at her.  
  
"Really, my Lady, such a thing as CURSING me wasn't necessary!"  
  
She chuckled. "Believe me, it was. It's a shame Sango couldn't see it."  
  
Miroku groaned. "Please no; then I would have something about a hundred lumps on my poor head."  
  
Kagome laughed. "Maybe that's just what you deserve! You should stop acting like such a pervert, or else..."  
  
She never finished her sentence, because all of the sudden, the room and Miroku disappeared, and she stood on a battlefield, watching Kikyou fight a silver haired man.  
  
She watched in awe at how smooth his moves were, how practised he was with his sword. She admired his beauty, and silently asked herself who the hell he was.  
  
Her question was answered soon as Kikyou began talking to him. So this was Lord Sesshoumaru, the powerful Lord of the Western Lands?  
  
She kept watching, and only noticed she held her breath as she let it go in once as Kikyou cursed Sesshoumaru.  
  
She watched how he felt to the ground, screaming in pain. She felt sympathy for him; she knew how cruel Kikyou could be, there was no doubt she threw some horrible curse at him.  
  
As they carried him away, she started walking towards him, and was about to touch his pale face, as suddenly the vision disappeared and a worried Miroku came into view.  
  
He waved his hand before her face, and suddenly he spoke. "One of your visions?"  
  
She nodded, and opened her mouth. "I... I know what Kikyou was up too."  
  
"And?"  
  
"She has captured Lord Sesshoumaru."  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
And another chapter... lalala... lol, I just wanted to say, Sesshoumaru and Kagome see each other in the next chapter, so... keep reading and please review!  
  
angelic-goddess101: I am glad you like the story, and here's chapter two!  
  
Kashiaga: No, I didn't see a story with elves in it either, but I like elves, and I didn't want Kagome to be just a human, so I thought, yes, she's an elf!  
  
DumbAssPunk: Hehe, the review was a bit chaotic, but I got the message. (I'm glad for the translation everytime) *laughs her head off* Well anyway, glad you like it!  
  
Wow: Like I said, they meet each other in the next chapter... 


	3. Chapter Three: The meeting

Chapter Three: The meeting  
  
In a valley, somewhere to the south, a vehement battle was going on. Everywhere you could hear the cries of pain or victory. There were youkai and elves, who moved with supernatural speed across the battlefield, and humans, who of course were much slower. Once in a while, there was a blinding light indicating that another elf used his magic.  
  
Just as Kikyou had presumed, most of the youkai armies were now concentrating on the part of her army that had attacked them from behind, forgetting completely about the few hundred elves before them.  
  
These very elves were now carrying a weak and pale youkai lord with them. Lead by Kikyou, they pulled back, quietly and fast, to return to their castle. Kikyou couldn't help but smile once she saw how the taiyoukai was carried away.  
  
Her plan had worked.  
  
*  
  
He felt SICK.  
  
There was no other way to describe it. Sesshoumaru groaned as he felt another wave of pain going trough his body.  
  
At first, his mind had been a bit dazed, but that had gone away and now, it was apparently the only thing that still worked.  
  
He couldn't move, but he was being moved, and every time they moved him, he felt a terrible pain. He could barely see a thing, whether it was due to the curse itself or if he was blinded by the strange blue light, he didn't know, so he had settled by simply closing his eyes. His sense of smell was also almost gone, or it was equal to a human, either way, he couldn't smell like he normally could.  
  
The only thing that became better once time passed was his hearing. Where he first could only hear mumbling, he now could clearly hear people talking.  
  
Not that it helped him, anyway.  
  
If he disliked Kikyou once, now he positively hated her. That bitch had known she couldn't win a fair fight against him, so she had cheated him, by using magic and weaken him so she could capture him.  
  
He wondered what they would do with him. He was not afraid of death, but he doubted they would kill him, he was too important for that.  
  
Torture him then? It could be, it was the thing he always did with his prisoners. There was no way he would threat them as anything else than dirt. But then again, he was a youkai, and they were elves. With people as soft and foolish as they were, he doubted they would torture him.  
  
Although that Kikyou was a bit different...  
  
At the moment, she was somewhere near him, as he could hear her talking to that 'Sango' girl. He didn't really listen, that is, until he heard his name.  
  
"... Lord Sesshoumaru, you planned this from the beginning huh?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Apart from me, did anyone else know?"  
  
"No, only you did. You know what would have happened if I told anyone else, like Kagome or mother."  
  
The other girl giggled. "I can imagine... but after all, it went rather easy, isn't it?"  
  
He pricked up his ears, curious what Kikyou would answer to this one.  
  
"Easy, easy... not really."  
  
"But it was only minutes, and you got him!"  
  
"But only after I cursed him, or else he would have been to powerful. Actually, putting a curse on him isn't that easy either."  
  
"It looked as if any elf could do it."  
  
Kikyou snorted. "Believe me, only the more powerful among us could curse a taiyoukai such as Lord Sesshoumaru. He is even more powerful than Naraku, keep that in mind. It cost me a lot of power, and I'm rather tired now. Even now, he's fighting the curse. That's why we have to hurry. If I stay close to him, I can prevent him from lifting the curse entirely, but I haven't got much energy left. We have to reach the castle, so that Kagome can take care of him. She could easily curse ten of his sort and still have energy left. And her curses last longer. Then we will see what to do with him. I'd say, we'd throw him in the lowest dungeon our castle has."  
  
The Sango girl sighed. "I know, Kagome is very powerful. Is there any chance she put one of her blessing spells on us again? I mean, I fought quit a lot, but I'm not tired at all. It seems as if I got more energy than normally."  
  
"Yeah, that was Kagome."  
  
A silence fell, and Sesshoumaru wondered who this Kagome was. Definitely an elf, and a powerful one too.  
  
Suddenly Sango spoke again. "Kagome isn't going to like this you know. She hated it when someone is in pain, and just this morning she suggested again if we couldn't make peace with the youkai."  
  
Sesshoumaru would have frowned, if he could. Now he knew this Kagome was a fool too. Making peace? No way! But who was it?  
  
Kikyou snorted again. "She is a fool!" Sesshoumaru for once agreed with her. "If she could, she would even become friends with this one. That's why I say, we throw him in the lowest dungeon. Kagome would give him too much freedom. Imagine what he could do if nobody watched after him!"  
  
Yep, this Kagome was positively crazy. Becoming friends? With a youkai? Wit HIM? He, Lord Sesshoumaru, did no such pathetic things as becoming friends with somebody. He had no friends. Friends were useless.  
  
"I agree with you," Sango sighed. "Kagome is far too kind for this world. But I don't think she really is such a fool. She has some senses in her, and I'm sure she wouldn't trust Lord Sesshoumaru like that. And if he was Naraku, she would maybe even kill him. Or at least, cause him some pain."  
  
"Apparently, you don't know my little sister that good yet. Somehow, she would even forgive that bastard..."  
  
Sesshoumaru stiffened as he heard this. So Kagome was the queen's youngest daughter, and Kikyou's younger sister? And they were carrying him with them, to their castle, to her.  
  
So he would eventually meet this mysterious girl after all.  
  
*  
  
Miroku sat on his bed, he had forgotten about stretching his poor body, actually, he was too stunned for that now. So this was what Kikyou had planned all the way. And she hadn't told anyone, at least not him, not Kagome, and he would bet the queen didn't know about it either.  
  
What the hell did Kikyou want with taking a prisoner? Probably, she either wanted to negotiate with the enemy, to try if she could get something done due to the fact that they held one of their leaders captured, or she wanted to question him.  
  
Lord Sesshoumaru was one of the three leaders, and probably knew a lot about Naraku, Kouga, their enemies, their tactics, their goals. He agreed with Kikyou there, if he would tell them something, they could use it against the enemy. But he doubted the taiyoukai would say a thing.  
  
'But maybe Kikyou just wanted revenge...'  
  
«Eh... then she could just have killed him?»  
  
'He's too powerful for her. She couldn't kill him'  
  
«But today, she could. Once she cursed him, she could have killed him.»  
  
'Yeah, well then she will probably negotiate.'  
  
He raised a brow at Kagome, who was pacing back and forth, nervously pulling her hands trough her black tresses. She was tense, as she was mostly when she got one of her visions. He sighed, poor Kagome, not only did she carry the burden of guarding the Shikon no Tama, she also had visions, a lot even, and they were not always very pleasant. Sango had told him how she once found Kagome, crying in her bed, because she had one of her visions again. But it didn't always happen at night, also during the day; she sometimes collapsed, as she saw things that nobody else saw. She could see what was going on somewhere else at the same moment, like now, but mostly she saw what would have to happen in the future. He definitely didn't want to change roles with her.  
  
He walked towards her, and shook her gently. "Kagome, take it easy. There nothing you can do, we will have to wait until Kikyou turns up."  
  
She looked up at him, with big eyes, but sighed then and plumbed down on his bed. "Really Miroku," she said with a trembling voice. "I am worried about Kikyou. She can be so cruel. She was always cold, colder than any other of our people, but after father... you know... died, she... she became so fanatic. I... y-you have to help me when she gets here. I want that poor guy away from her; because I think she might threat him bad."  
  
Miroku looked shocked. "But Kagome, he is a youkai, and a prisoner. We have to lock him away."  
  
Kagome gritted her teeth. "But not somewhere dark, in a dungeon or so. I say, we put him in one of the towers. Don't worry; I'll put a spell on him, so that he can not escape. I don't get Kikyou, of all the spells she could have used, she cursed him so badly! I tell you, he must be in terrible pain now. I know a spell which has the same effect, but it wouldn't cause him pain, and he could move around a bit." She looked up at him, with puppy eyes. "Please Miroku?"  
  
He sighed. "Ok, but your sister is tough. Once she decided to put him away, you won't get her that easily. She wouldn't agree with you."  
  
He frowned as Kagome began to giggle a bit. "Oh don't worry. I know the perfect solution if she refuses..."  
  
"A spell? That wouldn't work, Kikyou is very powerful."  
  
"But not as powerful as I am," Kagome stated. "And, this particular spell is very effective. I used it on her, even when we were children. She never managed to block it."  
  
"Well well, could you teach me it? Maybe I could use it on Sango once she goes whacking me over my poor head..."  
  
Kagome laughed. "No forget it! If Sango hits you, you deserved it!"  
  
"Did you by any chance see how long it would take them to get here?" Miroku asked innocently.  
  
Kagome elbowed him. "Yeesh, I don't see everything. We will just have to wait. Come, we can go to the walls, if they arrive, we will see them as soon as they enter the valley."  
  
Miroku nodded, and together, they stormed away, and the same servant who got a heart attack of Kagome earlier that day, received another one.  
  
*  
  
Sango smiled as soon as she saw the walls of the castle appear in front of her. This was her home now, and she loved every part of it. When she used to live in the village, she always wished she could live in that castle once. It was just so big... As a little girl, she always imagined what it would be like. And now she lived in it, and even became friends with Kagome, one of the princesses. Imagine that!  
  
She smiled even more as she noticed two figures up at the walls. The first was that of a woman, with black hair, and wearing a blue dress. It was no doubt Kagome. And next to her, stood a person dressed in purple and black clothes, Miroku, another one of her friends. Sango jumped and waved at them, and they waved back.  
  
"She knows," Kikyou suddenly spoke from next to her.  
  
Sango frowned and looked a bit sheepishly at the elf. "Eh... who knows what?"  
  
"Kagome knows I captured Lord Sesshoumaru. I just feel it."  
  
Sango shrugged. "So what?"  
  
"So, we will have an argument on the manner."  
  
*  
  
Sesshoumaru was pissed, VERY pissed. He long ago stop thinking about how humiliating it was that HE was captured by ELVES, and instead he began to imagine what terrible things he could do to Kikyou, once he was free again.  
  
He agreed that he wouldn't kill her on battlefield one day, as he always thought. No, if he ever got the chance in his life, he would capture her, just like she did with him, and then he would torture her, and then kill her.  
  
He was a bit pleased to hear that he, without himself noticing, fighted the curse and got Kikyou so far that she lost a lot of her energy. 'Serves her right,' was the only thing he thought.  
  
He listened to her conversation with the other girl, and frowned as she stated that her sister knew she had captured him. What, was this Kagome a sort of fortune-teller too? Great.  
  
They suddenly stopped walking, and he felt pain again. Then he heard how something big was opened, probably the ports, and they began walking again, until they stopped. He still couldn't see much, but he presumed they were somewhere in the castle now, maybe on the courtyard.  
  
He heard the rustle of robes, and felt how two people stormed past him.  
  
"Kikyou!" he heard a melodious voice say.  
  
"Sango!" that was definitely the voice of a man.  
  
There were the usual greetings, and he lost interest again, as he suddenly catched his name again, and that of Kagome.  
  
"Kikyou, why the HELL did you capture him? Why didn't you told me?" the same melodious voice cried now.  
  
"Kagome, do I have to discuss every manner that involves war with you? You yourself stated you didn't want to have anything to do with it."  
  
"B-but you could have told me this! What do you want with him?"  
  
"Lock him away of course. Then I will see if I can demand something of our enemies. I bet they are eager to get their leader back..."  
  
"Ok, then bring him up in one of the towers. And I will look after him; Kami, did nobody pull that arrow out of his shoulder?"  
  
"No, Kagome. He is too dangerous."  
  
"B-but..."  
  
"He is a YOUKAI, damn it! Don't tell me you forgot that?!"  
  
"And so what? I don't care if he is a human, an elf, or a youkai! He is wounded! Are you all gone crazy? Why can't you stop this, this stupid war?! It's insane; it leads to nothing but loss and pain, and for what? Some stupid Jewel!"  
  
"The Shikon no Tama is not stupid Kagome, but a very powerful Jewel that needs to be protected, and that needs to be respected. And don't forget it was a youkai who killed our father."  
  
"But it was not HIM!"  
  
"I don't care if it was him or not, he's a youkai, and so it's settled. You there," Kikyou pointed angrily at a servant. "Make sure he is thrown in one of the dungeons, and post a guard next to it. Or no, two would be wiser."  
  
"So you leave me no other choice then, Kikyou..." Kagome's voice sounded no longer sad, or desperate. No, apparently, she was angry too now, and Sesshoumaru opened his eyes again to look if he could see anything.  
  
He saw two vague figures, one dressed in white and red, which must be Kikyou. Facing her was someone with blue clothes, and dark hair, but that was all he could see. He watched how the person in blue, which was Kagome, he presumed, raised her hands. He groaned inwardly; not another spell? But it was, and as a bright light flashed, he clutched his eyes.  
  
What was it with those bitches and blinding him everytime?  
  
*  
  
Kagome grinned satisfied as Kikyou continued talking, but no sound came from her mouth. Next to her, Miroku was laughing his head of, and Sango was smiling mildly. As soon as Kikyou realised no sound came, she shut her mouth and glared furiously at Kagome. Kagome ignored her and turned to the same servant Kikyou was talking to earlier.  
  
"Now, I don't think you could remember Kikyou ordering you something today, couldn't you? Apparently, our poor Kikyou has lost the ability to speak, so now, you will simply have to follow MY orders. And I say, you bring Lord Sesshoumaru up into the southern tower. Place him in the room next to mine, and make sure he is comfortable. He is a prisoner, so station two guards next to his door, but that would be all."  
  
The servant nodded nervously and sprinted away as soon as he was dismissed. Kikyou had opened her mouth again, and she was probably screaming, but everyone ignored her.  
  
Sango was busy prying Miroku off, who was talking to her, about how he worried he had been, and of course, his hands would wander off quit a lot...  
  
Kagome decided to leave them, and flashed Kikyou a smile. "I will leave you for now, and I suggest you let Sango command the soldiers for now, as you are unable to give any order."  
  
Still laughing, she turned and walked towards the southern tower, preparing to look at Sesshoumaru.  
  
*  
  
Sesshoumaru growled as he was laid on a bed somewhere. He was getting very annoyed from getting dragged around everywhere, and he had no control over it. It was not how he was used to things, but maybe that Kagome would lift the curse.  
  
He would refuse her to help him; he shuddered at the thought of how she began complaining about Kikyou's arrow. But it could be useful if she lifted this curse...  
  
He heard how the door opened and closed, but he was unable to see who came in. Someone was standing next to the bed now, staring down on him. He growled a bit, he had never felt so helpless in his entire life.  
  
Who was staring at him?  
  
*  
  
Kagome stood next to the bed and gazed down at the taiyoukai. He looked the same as in her vision; he had the same beautiful hair, silver and very long. And now she got a good look at his face. It was beautiful, she stated. She didn't notice the youkai markings in her vision, but she did now. He had a blue moon on his forehead, and two magenta stripes at each of his cheeks. She resisted to urge to touch them, but instead worried about how pale his face was.  
  
'Kikyou, you could have been a bit nicer,' she thought.  
  
«You know Kikyou would never do that, he's a youkai, and she hates youkai»  
  
'Well, I still think, she could have used another spell on him'  
  
But thinking again about how he was an enemy, she decided to lift the curse Kikyou put on him, but nothing more, he was still a prisoner. And she had to careful, he was probably waiting for the curse to be lifted and would attack her as soon as he could.  
  
She knew she shouldn't be afraid of him, she could defend herself, but despite the fact that Kikyou sealed his youki away, she still felt how powerful he must be.  
  
«He fascinates you, isn't it?»  
  
'Yes, that's it, he fascinates me. I've never been so close to a youkai before...'  
  
She sat down next to him, put a hand on his forehead and concentrated on her power. She would lift that stupid curse.  
  
*  
  
Sesshoumaru stiffened as he felt how somebody sat down, and put a hand on his forehead. He noticed it was the same blue dressed figure from below, so it had to be that princess.  
  
He tensed as he noticed a blue light, and braced himself for the worst. But instead of feeling the same pain as when Kikyou cursed him, he felt how he was engulfed in a blue light, and it wasn't painful, no it was warm and comfortable. He relaxed a bit, and noticed how his senses came back.  
  
He could hear more and more, and he smelled a lot of things again. He could smell two elves who were standing outside the door, and he smelled another elf, which was Kagome.  
  
He always claimed elves smelled horrible, just as humans. He would crinkle his nose out of distaste, and he would simply curse his bad luck that he had to smell something like that. Especially the stench of humans was unbearable, those creatures were so weak, and they were useless.  
  
But the scent of the person next to him, although it was that of an elf, didn't irritate him like usual. She smelled of Sakura blossom, and jasmine, and something else... he didn't know what.  
  
He had closed his eyes again, but now he opened them again, and as he turned his head to look at the elf, he stiffened as he looked into her eyes.  
  
They were beautiful, he had to admit. Dark, just like Kikyou's, but there was a whole world of differences between them. Those of Kikyou were cold and dark. The eyes of the girl before him were warm and caring, with sparkling in them and endless depths in which he drowned the longer he looked.  
  
As he looked at Kagome, he already knew some of the stories about her were true, she was beautiful. Her face was framed by dark, black hair that reached to her waist. Her eyes were dark brown, and simply stunning. She had pointed ears, much like his, and she was smiling at him.  
  
Since when did people smile at him?  
  
*  
  
Kagome sat back once she performed her spell and watched how the taiyoukai before her slowly came back to his senses. He remained to lie still, and she was starting to worry, as he slowly opened his eyes and stared right into her eyes.  
  
She almost gasped once she saw his eyes. She had never seen such an eye colour; his eyes were a beautiful gold colour.  
  
As he continued to look at her, and just stared at her, she smiled at him. Inwardly, she was getting nervous; why did he stare at her like that?  
  
She swallowed and instead concentrated on the arrow in his shoulder. He followed her gaze, and she saw how he looked annoyed. Then he looked at her again, and she jumped as he began speaking.  
  
"Are you done staring at me?" he said in a low, pleasant voice.  
  
Kagome blushed, but then she frowned. Wait a minute; he was staring at her too! "I wasn't the only one staring," she pointed out.  
  
"I wasn't staring, if that's what you mean. I was merely waiting for you to finish looking at me"  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes. Ok, he was stubborn, that was something she knew for sure now. But she smiled again, determinated to behave like a princess should do. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. My name is Kagome" she extended her hand towards him, but he ignored it. She frowned, but continued. "I will have to pull that arrow out, you know," she stated, pointing at the thing.  
  
He still ignored her, but his eyes narrowed a bit. "This Sesshoumaru doesn't need your help."  
  
"This Kagome thinks you are stupid to think that" she replied and reached towards the arrow.  
  
The next things happened so fast; she didn't notice she was in danger until it was too late.  
  
His hand shot out towards her hand, and with a quick movement, he grabbed her arm and turned it. She cried as she felt pain and heard the cracking of her bone. The bastard had broken her arm! He moved, and with his right hand pinned her to the bed.  
  
"Never ignore an order of me," he spat at her. "You foolish elf, I would kill you, was it not that I am your prisoner now. Just remember that."  
  
Kagome swallowed and looked a bit scared at him, he did look furious. His eyes were a bit red, and his aura had changed. She smiled weakly at him. "Very well, I will leave you alone. But if you need any help, do not hesitate to ask. My room is right next to yours. You will have to stay here, as you understand." She looked warningly at him now. "Don't even try to go trough that door, because I put a spell on it. You will not be able to leave this room. Now if you please let go of me?"  
  
He growled at her, but he crawled back and turned his back at her. "I want to speak to your queen," he stated.  
  
Kagome nodded. "I will tell her. I think she would want to speak to you herself. I will return later and tell you what she said."  
  
At that, she held her left hand over her broken arm, and a second later, it was healed. Then she walked to the door. Turning once again, she saw how he was staring out of the window. Sighing, she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.  
  
*  
  
As soon as she left, Sesshoumaru went to look at the arrow. He gritted hit teeth and pulled it out of his shoulder. He pulled off his shirt and looked at the wound. It wasn't serious, and now he had his power again, it was healing quickly.  
  
He was curious why the girl had lifted the curse and wanted to help him. It was just like her sister told her, he was a youkai, and he was their enemy. Yet, the entire time she was in this room, she kept smiling, even when he pinned her to the bed.  
  
He now knew the other stories were also true. He noticed how powerful her aura was, and she had healed the arm he broke within a second.  
  
Now he had seen the girl, he was even more curious about her. He wanted to know more about the power she had, not alone for his own sake, but also because he could use it against her once he was free again. He had no doubt he would escape sometime, or they would have to let him go.  
  
He turned to look at the door, and thought about trying to go trough it. But he remembered what the girl had said, and although she seemed to be to kind to be real, he had no doubt she put a spell on that door. She wanted to help him, yes, but he still was a prisoner.  
  
Sighing, he put his shirt back on and lay down. He would have to wait until he could see the queen and talk to her. Until then, he could do nothing but relax.  
  
Life wasn't fair.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
And another chapter... by the way,  
  
'...' is when someone thinks "..." is when someone talks «» is a sort of subconscious  
  
Anime-Dork: Hehe, I don't want people to die, so here's a new chapter!  
  
DumbAssPunk: Thanks!  
  
SiriusObsession: So you read the other story too huh? Glad you like that one too. This reminds me, I have to write another chapter for that one too...  
  
DragonPixie14: Pairings for now are; Sesshoumaru/Kagome, Sango/Miroku, well and further I will see, there are a lot of characters I still have to introduce, maybe Inuyasha/Kikyou, and Kouga having a crush or something like that on Kagome, but I'm telling to much now... you'll see! 


	4. Chapter Four: Why is he so cold?

Chapter Four: Why is he so cold?  
  
Kagome closed the door to Sesshoumaru's room, but she remained staring at it. She absentminded rubbed her right arm and thought back to the moment earlier, when he broke it. She was not angry, she just wondered why he had looked so furious back then. She only wanted to help him! She shuddered as she remembered how his aura had flared up, and with her keen senses, she was amazed at how powerful it was.  
  
She jumped as someone laid a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw it was one of the guards.  
  
"Kagome-sama, did he hurt you?"  
  
She smiled at him, as it was an elf, he had heared her bone break, she was sure of that. "No, he did not." The elf looked doubtful, but apparently he choose to ignore it. "You may leave now," she added.  
  
He and the other guard looked surprised at her. "Are you sure my Lady? He is a prisoner..."  
  
"Oh, I put a spell on the door, don't worry, there is no need for you to stay here."  
  
The guards hesitantly left, and she knew she would have to deal with Kikyou and her mother about this later, but first she decided to look at their wounded soldiers.  
  
Sesshoumaru couldn't really relax. He had noticed that both his swords were still at his side, and he inwardly grinned.  
  
Rule number one: never leave a prisoner with weapons. Apparently, the elves never heard of that one. Rule number two: lock said prisoner safely away and DEFENITELY not next to ones room.  
  
He silently shook his head as he thought about how stupid this girl was, letting him near her. Did she want to commit suicide?  
  
He thought she would have defended herself as he broke her arm, but she didn't. And he had heard how she send the guards away.  
  
Rule number three: never stay close to an armed prisoner, alone and without protection.  
  
His thoughts drifted from Kagome to Naraku. He hoped Naraku would loose the battle, but it was likely Kikyou pulled her army back. All this was set up just so they could get him, and Kikyou would be a fool to risk anymore lives in a battle that was of no importance further.  
  
But he still hoped Naraku would loose a lot of his men, because he didn't like him, and also it would cost some time before Naraku would come nagging about a new battle.  
  
That he was a prisoner now didn't mean Naraku would keep quiet. He would probably go to Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru shuddered as he thought about that. Inuyasha had a lot to learn, and he would rather not have his army lead by his brother.  
  
But why was he even worrying? Inuyasha couldn't stand both Naraku and Kouga, and considering his manners (or the lack of them) he would rather kick them out of the castle before even considering going to war with them...  
  
His thoughts went to Kagome again, as he kept seeing her face before him, smiling sadly. He sat up and rubbed his temple in frustration. Was there nothing he could do?  
  
At home, he would spend the whole day in his study, signing documents and making decisions regarding his lands. Sometimes, when there was a more important problem, like for instance the troublesome youkai last week, he would go out and exterminate it himself. Also, he would make sure his soldiers (and he himself) were in perfect condition.  
  
But he was locked in this room, so there was no chance he could go and practice a bit with his sword now. Not even to slice some elven heads off. What a pity.  
  
It went against all his principles, he was Lord Sesshoumaru, and nobody could ever harm him, let alone CAPTURE him. His pride was hurt, but he could do nothing about it now. There was nobody to listen to his orders, no servant or slave to punish, no one he had power over. Instead, he was the one now that had to listen. And he had to listen to that girl none the less.  
  
But there was something he could do, he realised. The girl trusted him somehow, or something like that, and it would be fun to scare her, to humiliate her. That was the least he could do.  
  
He stood and decided to explore the room a bit. If you walked trough the door, the bed on which he sat, stood to the right. To the left stood a wardrobe and a table with a view chairs. There was not much in the room, but it was still impressive. There were paintings on the walls, of all kinds of landscapes, and the ceiling was high and also painted with birds. Opposite the door was a window, and he walked towards it.  
  
He stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed a small door in the wall next to the window. "Well well, he whispered, "I wonder if our little princess put a spell on this one as well..."  
  
He reached with one clawed hand at the door, and when he didn't sense anything, he touched the door and opened it.  
  
Behind the door was a balcony, and he stepped onto it, walking towards the edge to look down. He was at a tower that lay to the south, and it was pretty high. From the tower, you could clearly see the courtyard, in which now lay the wounded soldiers. He grinned evilly as he noticed there were pretty much of them. He noticed a blue light, and looking more carefully, he recognised Kagome as she was probably healing someone.  
  
Why would she even bother? Didn't they have other people to do that? She was a princess, and still she walked around normal soldiers, and with his sharp eyes he could see she was even talking to them. He never talked to his soldiers, if it wasn't necessary. They were just ordinary youkai, and he thought them to be of no importance. As long as they fought and were loyal, it was alright. Here, it looked more like some big family.  
  
His gaze shifted to the rest of the castle and its lands. He had been here before, he had fought several times next to Naraku, but he never got the time to look around properly. He noticed the lands were beautiful, and he could see the castle had several large gardens in which people were working. It all looked so peaceful...  
  
Turning, he noticed another door next to the one he just exited. Curious, he opened it and glanced inside. He grinned as he noticed a room similar to his, but it was obvious it was more inhabited than his. So this must be Kagome's room...  
  
That girl really was a fool. She only put a spell on the door leading from his room outside, but she forgot the door leading to the balcony. And from the balcony, he could easily get into her room, and go to the door there, to set of into the castle...  
  
He shook his head, and shut the door close. No. Despite the fact he hated these elves, he still had his honour. He was a prisoner, and this was just how it went. He would wait until he could speak with their queen, and see what they planned to do with him. He wouldn't run away like that. He had his pride. Besides, he could make fun of the girl; pointing out to her how she forgot this. She would be standing there like a fool...  
  
He remained standing on the balcony, watching the queue below, and waited for Kagome to turn up.  
  
Kagome was talking animated to a soldier, trying to cheer the guy a bit up, when Kikyou came walking towards her. She had lifted the spell, so that her sister could speak now, and apparently, that was just what she intended to do.  
  
"Kagome, I just spoke to the guards..." Great. "... and they told me you sent them away. Now what is this supposed to mean?"  
  
'Well I worked myself into this, didn't I?'  
  
«Right you are. You knew they would be angry about that one...»  
  
"It means nothing, Kikyou," her sister raised her eyebrows at this. "No, really, I just don't think it would be necessary to place some guards there. I can handle it by myself."  
  
"Well, I heard something else from one of the guards, an elf I believe..." SHIT. "He said he heard a suspicious sound, like a bone breaking or something. I know YOU wouldn't break HIS bone, so it had to be him doing that, isn't it?"  
  
Kagome quickly stood and waved with her hands. "Hehe, it was nothing, really, just a misunderstanding."  
  
"A misunderstanding, yeah right. Anyway, mother wishes to see us, and you should bring the prisoner with you. We will decide on what to do with him. And if it depends on me, I'll get him out of that tower."  
  
"But that's mother's decision."  
  
"I don't care. He's dangerous."  
  
Kagome sighed as her sister stalked away, and her eyes drifted towards the southern tower. She stiffened as she saw a certain silver haired person standing out on the balcony. Oops, she forgot to put a spell on the other door in his room.  
  
'Stupid, stupid Kagome,' was the thing she kept repeating in her mind as she stormed off to get him.  
  
Sesshoumaru inwardly smiled as he catched the scent of that princess. He saw how she looked up at him earlier, down on the ground, and she must have realised her mistake by now. She came running trough his room and he didn't even bother to look behind him as he spoke.  
  
"Has your queen decided she could see me yet?"  
  
"You..." pant cough "didn't run away"  
  
He turned to see Kagome staring at him with big eyes and he chuckled. "No, why should I?"  
  
"But... but you are a prisoner, and ... and..."  
  
"And you forget to put a spell on that little door, didn't you?"  
  
He saw how she blushed and began stammering out of embarrassment. "Yeah, well I forgot and I will admit it honestly, it was stupid..."  
  
He raised his brow, as he expected her to come with some lame excuse or something like that, but she admitted it was a stupid mistake.  
  
"Tell me, girl, do you always threat prisoners like this? You are really naive, you know."  
  
"Well we usually don't have any prisoners, it is against our laws and moral to take people's freedom. That's why I'm mad at Kikyou, but well, she's an exception. She always acted strange, different from what we do. But what would you do with prisoners then?"  
  
He moved so he stood right before her, and because she was so small, and he rather tall, he towered over her. He looked satisfied when she backed away a bit, apparently impressed by his high. "I..." he began slowly. "...usually don't use the term 'prisoner'."  
  
She frowned, clearly not understanding where this led to. "Why?"  
  
He chuckled evilly. "Because I wouldn't bother housing someone. When I capture somebody, he's dead within the next twenty four hours."  
  
She gasped, and her jaw dropped. "You can't mean that..."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"That's, that's evil..."  
  
"If you say so..."  
  
A silence fell, and he enjoyed himself with sending the girl one of his iciest glares, and he silently cheered as she began to look a bit uncomfortable.  
  
"Well... eh... my mother wishes to see you..."  
  
"About time."  
  
She glared at him, and then turned briskly. "Just follow me."  
  
He followed her as she opened the door for him, and they walked down the stairs. They came into a wide corridor, and as they walked all the way down, trough several other corridors, he watched amazed at how Kagome greeted every servant they passed by. He wondered if she had no dignity, she was a highborn princess; she shouldn't talk to lower servants.  
  
At the moment, he was waiting patiently for her to finish speaking to some old, ugly woman who she called 'Kaede'. They talked about the gardens, and healing herbs and that stuff, but it didn't really interest him. He tuned their talking out, and leaned against the wall, watching Kagome as she laughed and made gestures with her hands.  
  
He remembered the words that Sango girl had spoken when he was half unconscious.  
  
Flashback  
  
Kikyou snorted. "She is a fool! If she could, she would even become friends with this one. That's why I say, we throw him in the lowest dungeon. Kagome would give him too much freedom. Imagine what he could do if nobody watched after him!"  
  
"I agree with you," Sango sighed. "Kagome is far too kind for this world..."  
  
End Flashback  
  
He could see what that girl had meant now. This girl before him was foolish. She put him in a room, next to hers, without a guard, and now, she was walking down the halls with him! The woman who she talked to now ignored him, but there were other servants who had all but run away, looking scared at him. And they had all reason to do just that. Who said he wouldn't start slaying all the elves in this castle here at once? He was armed, and probably only Kikyou or Kagome could stop him. They could be happy that it was against his principles, but still...  
  
He followed Kagome as she continued to walk, and he settled back at looking out of the windows. He could tell the girl before him was still nervous about his statement 'he would kill prisoners' earlier, and it amused him. But now he was looking forward to the meeting he would have with their queen.  
  
He never really met the woman, as she wouldn't turn up at the battlefield, and there were no other contacts between him and elves other than exactly at that place. He crinkled his nose as several human and elven servants came passing by. Really, the stench was unbearable!  
  
They came into a great hall, and Kagome walked towards a set of great oaken doors. She opened them, and he followed her into a sort of reception-room.  
  
It was stunning, and clearly there to impress possible visitors. Just like in his room, there were drawings everywhere, of landscapes, animals, ancestors, everything. But there were a lot of differences between this room and the one he had in his castle.  
  
The room in which he greeted his visitors was cold and large. This one was smaller, and it looked almost, dare he say it, cosy.  
  
Sitting by a low table, was the elven queen. He held his breath as he saw her. He instantly knew where Kagome and Kikyou got their looks from. The woman was beautiful, really stunning. She had dark hair, just like her daughters, and dark eyes, who looked more like Kagome then Kikyou because of the warmth in them.  
  
She nodded at him, and pointed at a view cushions opposite her. "Why don't you sit down, Lord Sesshoumaru?"  
  
He bowed, after all, she was still a queen, and sat. It was then that he noticed Kikyou was sitting next to his mother, glaring at him. He bared his fangs at her, but kept quiet.  
  
His revenge would come later.  
  
Kagome went to sit next to her mother. Kikyou was sitting on the other side, and she stiffened as she heard a growl coming from Sesshoumaru. All day, he had looked impassive, without any emotion, but she could tell he was pissed at the way he looked at Kikyou.  
  
She turned her head towards her mother as she began speaking. "Now Lord Sesshoumaru, I must apologise about the treatment you received earlier today." Sesshoumaru raised one brow. "And I must tell you that my beloved daughter Kikyou suggested locking you away in a dungeon."  
  
Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but her mother cut her off. "However, I don't think we should threat you that way..." Now it was Kagome's turn to grin at Kikyou, whose jaw dropped.  
  
"Mother! You can't do this! Listen to me, we..."  
  
"No Kikyou. Now Kagome, my child, didn't you told me you could put a barrier around this castle?"  
  
"Yes mother"  
  
"Than, Lord Sesshoumaru, you will be threaded as a guest, and you can go in this castle wherever you want. But you will not be able to leave it, once Kagome cast the barrier."  
  
Sesshoumaru coughed and began talking. "I have but one thing to ask, my Lady, and that is, what are you planning to do with me further? Will there be any negotiations?"  
  
"Yes there will. And please, call me Lady Aglaia."  
  
"May I inquire what you will ask for my release, Lady Aglaia?"  
  
"I have not decided that yet. Now would you please be so kind to eat with us?"  
  
"It would be an honour."  
  
Kagome let a sigh once the talk was over. He didn't got that furious as back then, when he broke her arm. He growled once at Kikyou, but nothing more. She had the feeling, that if he could go on, he would kill them all, but he kept back, controlling his emotions, acting like a Lord should. She was impressed; she could never keep her emotions in check. But she also wondered if he could ever show any emotion, it was as if he had a mask on, and nobody was allowed to see the real Sesshoumaru, with emotions and all.  
  
'That's really a shame...' she thought.  
  
He was walking back to his room, together with the girl. After dinner, he had claimed he would go back to his room, and Kagome immediately said she would walk with him, or else he would get lost. He scoffed at the idea, but he wanted to get away from there, so why not?  
  
He stiffened and could barely suppress a growl when he noticed Kikyou was following them. Sure enough, the girl catched up with them and tugged on Kagome's sleeve.  
  
"Kagome, I have to speak to you."  
  
Kagome sighed and looked at him. "Just wait a second, will you?"  
  
He said nothing as he continued to stare Kikyou to death, but she just laughed. "What? Did I hurt your pride or something?" How right you are. "Are you mad because I fought you and won?"  
  
He couldn't hold it anymore, and with one swift move, he had his claws at Kikyou's throat, his eyes red, but further he was dead calm. "Do not mug with me, bitch! You didn't win from me. In a fair fight, I would've killed you." He pressed his claws somewhat more in her skin, until some blood appeared. "You cheated me, and you will pay for that one day. I will keep my word for now, and will do nothing while I am here, but once I got free, be prepared. I will not forget this."  
  
He growled once at her, before he released her and dropped her on the floor. Without looking back, he continued to walk to his room.  
  
It was night, stars were at the sky, and the whole castle was fast asleep. But not Kagome...  
  
She had frozen to the spot when Sesshoumaru suddenly decided to strangle Kikyou; it was what she had been waiting for to happen during dinner. Kikyou had hurt his pride, and he must be furious.  
  
She had checked if Kikyou was alright, but as she could perfectly heal herself, she had gone to bed, lost in thought. She had been turning over and over, but she kept wondering, why the stoic youkai lord was so cold...  
  
Unbeknownst to Kagome, Sesshoumaru wasn't asleep either. He stood at the balcony, gazing into the distance, much like he always did when he was at home. He wondered what sort of barrier Kagome would cast, but he knew one thing, it would be one that would make it impossible for him to escape.  
  
He turned when he heard a door open, and saw it was Kagome. She stepped onto the balcony, and sat down on the edge, sighing.  
  
He remained hidden in the shadows, and stared at her for a long time. The moon shone on her face, and he could see she was smiling sadly. He wondered why she always looked a bit sad, but he shrugged it aside and decided to show himself.  
  
He coughed once, and stepped out of the shadows. The girl gasped, and spun around, but once she saw it was him, she smiled at him. "Oh hello Sesshoumaru! I didn't notice you were there!"  
  
Always so kind. Always. But why? Why smile at a youkai? Why smile at an enemy? Why smile at him?  
  
She looked before her again, and continued to speak to him. "I couldn't sleep, and I always like it out here, so I went outside. Couldn't you sleep either?"  
  
So that was why her room was all the way up in a tower, instead of close to her mother and sister who presumably slept somewhere else. And apparently, she did the same thing as he always did when he couldn't sleep, namely, walking out onto the balcony.  
  
The girl grew nervous as he didn't answer her, and she fidgeted somewhat around. Her next question startled him. "Why are you always so cold?"  
  
He quirked a brow at her. "Pardon me?"  
  
She frowned at him, but then looked to the side. "You show no emotion, it is as if everything is insignificant to you."  
  
"I am not cold," he stated, and ignored the way she looked sad at him. "It is you who are sentimental."  
  
"I am not sentimental," she shot back. "I am a person with feelings, I have a heart! But it is as if you have none. Or else it is made of ice..."  
  
He kept ignoring her, and as a bird came sitting down a bit too close to him, his arm shot out and he grasped it. He held it out before him, so the girl could see it, and she gasped as he slowly dug his claws in its body, killing it.  
  
A tear fell from her eyes, and she shook with anger. "How could you! That was just a little bird, it has done nothing to you!  
  
He dropped it to the floor and snorted. "Think again of what you say; look at who is sentimental now."  
  
"You jerk!" she sheeted, lifting her hand and bringing it close to his face, as if to slap him. He caught it easily, and turned it.  
  
"Tell me girl, do I have to break your arm again?"  
  
She was crying now, and looked at him with sad eyes. "Why do you hate us elves so? Why are you so rude?"  
  
He turned her arm a bit more and she cried when she felt pain. "I don't think I have to tell you that, but well, why not? I hate you all, because you are dirt. You elves killed my father, and I will not let such a thing pass. I swore to take revenge, and I will do so."  
  
"We..." she sniffled. "We didn't kill your father."  
  
"Don't lie to me!" he growled, grasping her chin with his other hand and turning her head so she would face him. "I know you did!"  
  
But she didn't answer him and he frowned as her eyes turned all glassy. It was as if she was looking at something only she could see, and by the look of it, she didn't like it. It continued for a few seconds, until she cried "No!" and then collapsed against him.  
  
He stiffened, and crinkled his nose before shaking her back and forth. She moaned softly, until she met his gaze, and to his relief, she looked normal again. It was really scary how she looked a minute ago.  
  
Then she whispered something, and he tensed as he heard it. "You found your father... He was beheaded, just like my father. And there was blood, blood everywhere..."  
  
He angrily flung her off him and she hit the floor hard. "You stupid elven whore! Now try and tell me again you elves didn't kill him! No one but me, my brother and a few guards knew how he was killed!"  
  
She remained lying on the ground, softly crying. "We didn't..." she managed to whisper.  
  
He snorted and turned, walking to the door to enter his room. He paused before the door, and looked back once. "Let me tell you something, I can't stand people who lie, and I know you lie. And one day, I will get my revenge and kill you all."  
  
At that, he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him, leaving a crying Kagome on the balcony, and he lay down on his bed.  
  
But he couldn't forget the way she looked so sad at him.  
  
Her words kept ringing trough his head. 'We didn't... we didn't... we didn't...' And somewhere inside his head, a tiny little voice kept speaking, insinuating that maybe, just maybe she told the truth...  
  
Question was, if the elves didn't kill his father, than who else could have done it?  
  
Aglaia: I don't really know Japanese names, this one is Greek, and if I am right, it means 'beauty'  
  
SiriusObsession: Yeah, bad Sesshie, I totally agree with you, but he still hates all the elves...  
  
Kashiaga: Hey thanks, I'm glad you like it.  
  
To everyone who reviewed (the murderous kiwi spoon, SiriusObsession, CometsChaos, Kashiaga, whiterose, migele, I and so on) thanks! 


	5. Chapter Five: The dream

Chapter Five: The dream  
  
He was in his castle again. He was walking along the corridor, and he shivered at how dark and cold it was. He saw a door ahead of him, and he tried with all his being to stop, or to turn, anything but walking trough that door, because he already knew what he would see once he entered the room behind it. But it was impossible, it was as if some unseen and invisible power drew him to the room, and he could not stop.  
  
It was as if he was just a spectator, stuck in the head of another person, forced to look but unable to do anything. It was as if he noticed things he never did before.  
  
The servants who hurried past him were no annoying humans without a face, they were real persons, with feelings.  
  
A young boy who looked as if the devil himself walked past him, the smell of fear emanating from him was browbeating. An older woman, bowing with respect, but also in fear.  
  
And all the time, that door kept coming closer and closer.  
  
Two guards were standing before it, one at each side. They wore a uniform with a white dog on it. They too got faces, which were set in something like the 'I-am-a-dull-puppet' mode, without any emotion. Despite the fact that they were youkai, they were still unaware of what was waiting behind the door.  
  
And he already knew it, but he still couldn't stop, he had to open that door, he had to... He extended his hand towards the door, and slowly it swung open.  
  
The first thing he noticed was the strong smell of death.  
  
He watched around the room, and a voice clung in his head while he did so. His eyes travelled to the paintings on the wall... "You found your father..." ... to the desk standing against it..."He was beheaded, just like my father..." ... his eyes went to the source of the smell, and he slowly walked towards the bed. As he looked at the body spread across it, HER voice sounded again... "And there was blood, blood everywhere..."  
  
She had been right.  
  
The body of his father was spread across the bed, lying in a puddle of dark blood. There was blood on the bed, on the walls, on the ground, everywhere...  
  
His father's head was separated from his body, and lay to the side, a horrified but empty expression on it, eyes broken.  
  
He trembled with anger and didn't even notice how the guards rushed past him, gasping and choking at the sight of the corpse.  
  
A growl escaped his throat as he could ask himself only one thing: who did this? He wanted to kill them, to take revenge, so who did this?!  
  
As if to answer, the scene disappeared and everything turned black. Then he heard sobbing, and turning, he saw it was Kagome, lying on the ground, illuminated by moonlight.  
  
And again, he noticed things which he normally didn't see.  
  
As she looked up at him, he saw various emotions in her eyes. Hurt, sorrow, grief but mainly sadness and honesty. Her small form shook from her crying, and he felt pity. She just looked so small, so vulnerable.  
  
He walked towards her and bent down, wiping away her tears. She laid her face in his hand, resting against it and looking him in the eyes. As he drowned himself in her large expressive eyes again, he heard a faint whisper.  
  
"We didn't..."  
  
With a startled gasp, Sesshoumaru sat upright on his bed once he woke up. He glanced at the window to see it was still night and collapsed on his bed again.  
  
That sure was a weird dream...  
  
It had happened before, fifty years ago, when he found his father just like this. But it was still creepy, and so was the dream.  
  
Where he normally would be satisfied when people where afraid of him, now it had felt like something bad. He had felt like some evil person when he saw the servants faces, and who knows, maybe he was. But it left him with the wish to get their trust, to see other faces than fearful ones...  
  
And then Kagome... Somehow, he didn't saw a disgusting elf in her, but a young woman who was crying like mad, and all because of him. Had he really wiped away her tears, and touched her almost gently? It looked real and unreal at the same time.  
  
He thought about how honest she had looked, and he almost believed her. Who wouldn't? She was just so kind, so pure, she even cried over the life of a single bird. How could someone like her get lost in a world like this, in a war-torn country, full of death?  
  
"He was beheaded, just like my father..."  
  
Yes, her father had been killed. He didn't witness it, as Naraku attacked the castle alone, but the bastard had come banging in his room later, throwing up about how he had cut the king's head off. Even though it was an elf, he was still disgusted about the way Naraku talked about it.  
  
He thought about how he threaded Kagome earlier, and he almost regretted it. Kami, he knew the girl for what, half a day and she managed to get his world upside down. He stiffened as he heard the wind blew outside.  
  
Surely she wouldn't be lying out there anymore?  
  
Somehow, the thought of her lying there in the open made him worry, and before he could think twice about it, he stood and walked to the door, opening it. To his relief, the balcony was empty, but he continued to the other door, drawn to it, just like in his dream.  
  
He slipped inside, and walked to the large bed, silently watching the girl that slept in it. Her hair was spread out around her face, and she had a peaceful look on her face.  
  
Still her eyes were a bit red from crying, but he shook his head and stopped his hand that had begun to wander off in order to wipe away any lingering tears. This was crazy, this must be some dream too, or else he was walking around in his sleep.  
  
He looked at her once again, and as quickly as he came, he turned and left.  
  
Hours later, Kagome woke with a start. For awhile, she just lay quietly, still half asleep, that is, until she remembered what had happened the previous night.  
  
She shot upright, and angrily glared at the wall, as if the youkai on the other side could see her. Why had he been so cold, and so rude? She had asked him, but he never really answered. At least not why he was so cold...  
  
But she knew why he was so rude now... So he believed they killed his father, huh? But why did he think that? It could have been someone else too, for all they knew. She shuddered as she remembered what she had seen once he touched her.  
  
His face had disappeared, and she immediately knew this was a vision again. She stood in the corner of a room, and watched how Sesshoumaru walked trough the door. She saw how he stiffened, and his cold mask disappeared as horror, disbelief and anger came on his face. She followed his gaze, and her jaw dropped.  
  
On the bed on the other side of the room, lay a man, a youkai presumably, who showed remarkably similarities with Sesshoumaru, from the silver hair to the youkai markings.  
  
But his head was cut off, and there was blood, blood everywhere... The last thing she remembered was how she screamed, and then suddenly she was leaning against Sesshoumaru, and he was shaking her by her shoulders.  
  
He hadn't believed her though when she told him they had nothing to do with the murder.  
  
She stood shakily and dressed herself. She stopped a moment to look at herself in the mirror, and fingered at the Jewel that hung around her neck. "I hate you..." she whispered against it, and then shook her head and walked towards the door.  
  
On her way towards it, she saw her bow and arrows, and she quickly grabbed them. When she was angry, she would simply go outside and practice a bit with them, so that was what she was going to do now.  
  
She walked down the stairs, but as she came in the corridor, she suddenly stopped. She wished she could talk to somebody about yesterday, but to who?  
  
Suddenly, an idea popped up in her head. Kaede! Kaede was an old woman, a human, from around sixty, and Kagome knew her for years already. She was a sort second mother for her, and teached her a lot about healing herbs. She always went to talk to Kaede when her mother was busy, and she trusted the woman completely. Plus, she saw Sesshoumaru yesterday, so she would go and ask the woman what she thought about the taiyoukai.  
  
Instead of turning right, she turned left, and stormed down the halls, to a small door and slipped into the gardens. She didn't have to search long, because Kaede was working in the garden, a view metres away from her.  
  
Kaede waved at her, and she waved back, smiling. They greeted each other and babbled on, until Kaede suddenly stood and gazed at Kagome.  
  
"Now child, I know something is bothering you, so speak up."  
  
Kagome sighed and mulled a while over her words. "You know about Lord Sesshoumaru, don't you?"  
  
"Yes, he is a prisoner."  
  
"Yeah, well you saw him yesterday, he was the guy who was with me. I just wondered... what did you thought off him?"  
  
Kaede cocked her head, and frowned. "He looked pretty cold to me. While we talked, I just ignored him, because he showed no emotion. But he was watching you all the time..."  
  
Kagome blushed. "Really? But the problem is, he looks always so impassive. Well, I only know him since yesterday, but he never showed any emotion except once or twice when he got furious."  
  
"Is it only that what bothers you? I can tell there is something more..."  
  
"Yesterday, he..." Kagome started and then shut her mouth again.  
  
Kaede looked knowingly at her. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."  
  
Kagome smiled at her. "That's nice of you! If Kikyou found out... but where was I? Oh well, yesterday, I couldn't sleep and I went to stand at the balcony, you know I always do that. He was there too, and we got some argument, and then he said we elves killed his father. I told him that wasn't true, and then he grabbed my chin and said I lied, but as he touched me, I got this vision of when he found his father dead. It was... let's say, you can be glad you didn't have to see it. And I told him what I saw, and then he said only he, his brother and some other people knew how his father died, so we had to be involved in it, and he flung me aside, on the floor and left..."  
  
"Sounds like it touched him quit a lot... he probably doesn't want to talk about it."  
  
"But he didn't have to act like a total jerk because of that!" Kagome yelled. "My back still hurts you know."  
  
Kaede sighed. "I guess you want to help him?" Kagome nodded. "Then just tell the truth, and someday he will see you don't lie. But don't press it, or he'll just get angry again. But why should you even bother, he is a prisoner, he will leave soon enough..."  
  
"I don't care. I think there is something why he is so cold..."  
  
"Maybe something from his past... Just follow your instinct child, Kami knows you have a sixth sense for how to cheer people up and help them. I'm sure you'll get to him"  
  
Kagome laughed and hugged the old woman. "Thanks Kaede!" Than she stormed off with her bow and arrows. "And don't forget, not a word to Kikyou or mother!"  
  
She saw Kaede nodding and turned the corner, only to bump right into Sango. "Kagome, I was just searching for you! We want to eat our lunch in the garden, do you want to come?"  
  
Kagome waved at Miroku, who came walking up carrying all sorts of food. "Sure Sango! Don't you think we should help Miroku a bit?"  
  
Sango gritted her teeth. "No, this is his punishment for groping me earlier. Now I heard this wonderful story of some servant, about how you cursed him. Can't you teach me that one? I wished I could have seen it..."  
  
They walked away, happily chatting, followed by a panting Miroku who was almost buried with the food.  
  
Miles away, a silver haired boy dressed in red clothes was pacing back and forth, watched by a nervous Jaken.  
  
"Inuyasha-sama, I am sure Sesshoumaru-sama is just fine, he'll just..."  
  
"He'll what?! There is something wrong, I can tell you that. Did nobody see what happened?! Damn it, he can't go missing like that, that's not like him!"  
  
The toad shifted nervously. "There was a soldier who said he was captured by elves, but I already punished him for coming up with such a stupid tale. Imagine that, the great Lord Sesshoumaru captured by that scum! That's simply impossible, isn't it?"  
  
Jaken squealed as Inuyasha grabbed his staff and whacked him over the head with it. "You stupid toad! I don't get it why Sesshoumaru keeps you around! Did it never occur to you that maybe, just maybe that story was true?"  
  
"B-but, it's impossible..."  
  
"I know it is! But where else could he be? That Kikyou bitch has surprised us before, who knows what she did now? You are not going to tell me he is staying over at Naraku's to drink tea with that guy, he can't stand that bastard, just like I do! What are you waiting for, get me that soldier!"  
  
A second later, Jaken was kicked out of the room by an angry Inuyasha who slammed the door shut behind him. The toad huffed, and wondered why the world had gone crazy. Sesshoumaru captured by elves...  
  
Impossible.  
  
Kagome leaned back with a sigh, patting her stomach and laughing a bit as Sango whacked Miroku over the head. "Shall I curse him for you Sango?"  
  
The girls both laughed at Miroku's horrified expression. "Ladies, ladies, please, have pity on me," the monk stammered, thinking about the last time he was cursed and couldn't move for hours.  
  
Sango grinned and then looked at Kagome. "And, how is our prisoner?"  
  
Kagome swallowed and put on a fake smile. "He's ok. He is a bit short tempered, but further, he's ok."  
  
Miroku grinned at her. "Tell me, is it wise to put you in the same tower with such a man? I mean, Sango, you saw him; he looked a bit too pretty to me."  
  
Sango raised her brow at him. "I thought you were straight?"  
  
Miroku quickly grasped her hands and smiled brightly. "Of course, I would never leave you, my dear Sango!"  
  
Kagome laughed as Sango blushed a deep red. "You two are really funny, you know! But seriously, Sesshoumaru is as cold as one can be, and his majesty simply loads elves and humans."  
  
"Really? Same counts for him. I can't stand youkai," Sango huffed. "I don't get how you can live up there with that guy so close. I saw him on the battlefield, and he's an excellent fighter, really powerful. He doesn't need his swords to hurt you..."  
  
"Let's just talk about something else, shall we?" Kagome asked quickly, not wanting to think back at last night.  
  
"Ok, ok," Miroku interrupted. "Let me tell you this joke I heard somewhere. Actually, I heard it from that servant girl in the kitchen, lovely girl if you ask me, really pretty, with those blue eyes and..."  
  
"Miroku!!!"  
  
Sesshoumaru in the mean time had gotten up too, and after fastening his swords, he had set off to explore the castle a bit. He had only been half way trough it, as he spotted a small door that lead to the gardens.  
  
He opened it, and walked outside, blinking against the sun. He followed the path that lead deeper into the gardens, and he watched amazed at how beautiful it was here. There were a few ponds, and flowers everywhere.  
  
He catched the scent of Sakura blossom and jasmine, and he followed it. It was not until he saw her that he realised he was following her scent, without him noticing.  
  
She was sitting together with another woman and a monk. The other girl wore a kimono, but he recognised her, he had seen her on the battlefield often, and as Kagome called her by her name, he noticed she was that 'Sango' girl who Kikyou talked to.  
  
He remained standing to the side and listened to their talking and laughing. He still couldn't get it how easily Kagome acted around other people, especially these two, who where both human and lower servant (or something like that).  
  
He raised his brow as the monk started talking about some girl, then the Sango girl yelled his name, and he chuckled as the girl whacked him over the head. As he heard clear laughter, he turned his head to see it was Kagome. She was laughing her head off, and he was not unaffected by it.  
  
Suddenly, her laughter died away as she brought a hand up to her back and she looked a bit pained. The other two looked worried at her and the Sango girl cried what was wrong with her. He stiffened as he heard her words.  
  
"Nothing, my back just hurts."  
  
The other girl narrowed her eyes. "Does this by any chance have something to do with that prisoner? You said he was short tempered..."  
  
Kagome grinned sheepishly at the others. "No, I... I just tripped and fell backwards, nothing to worry about."  
  
The monk put on a fake smile and got a dreamy expression. "Oh but my Lady, I know the perfect medicine for that, let me help you..."  
  
BAM  
  
The other girl had whacked him over the head again. Annoying habits those humans had. "Dream further you pervert. Are you sure it's nothing Kagome?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure."  
  
"Then we are going now. Miroku?!"  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm coming!"  
  
They hurried off, carrying what was left of their lunch and let Kagome alone, who remained sitting on the ground, staring at nothing in particular. Little did she know that a certain taiyoukai was staring at her with a bit of guilt now.  
  
So her back hurt... and not because she tripped, but because he had thrown her at the floor. He didn't know why he felt guilty now, maybe it was because of that weird dream, he didn't know. But the way she was sitting there, it was just like that dream, she was just as vulnerable and somehow, he was drawn to her again.  
  
He walked towards her, and he expected her to be afraid after what happened last night, and she gasped when she saw him, but then she smiled again and he frowned. She still smiled at him? Foolish girl.  
  
"Do you want to sit down?" she patted at the ground, and without thinking, he sat down with grace.  
  
A silence fell as he kept studying her, and she smiled at him again, although it was a bit nervous now. "Why do you always smile, no matter what?"  
  
She frowned at him and then shrugged. "Why not? There's enough sorrow already, I'm just trying to be optimistic."  
  
Silence again. "You are not sentimental."  
  
"Eh..."  
  
"I take my words back. You're not sentimental, it's just your nature." Why was he even saying this? It seemed to please her though.  
  
"Oh well, thanks...," she muttered.  
  
"But you are still naive, stubborn and a tad bit stupid."  
  
Her head shot up and she glared at him. "I am NOT stupid. And you are just as stubborn as I am, and cold, and arrogant and..."  
  
He didn't listen as he met her gaze again, and he was surprised as he saw the fire in her eyes. His old curiosity about this mysterious girl appeared again, and it was as if he was in the dream all over again.  
  
His hand shot out to her. She blinked, but didn't back away when he grasped her chin and looked intently at her.  
  
"Tell me again your people didn't kill my father," he demanded. He needed to see her eyes for real to see if she told the truth, not some stupid dream.  
  
Her lips quivered and her eyes became teary again. "We didn't... we didn't kill your father."  
  
He waited a bit, but there was no sign of a lie to find. She looked all honest, and he sighed. "I believe you." Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything, he continued. "But that doesn't explain how you knew he was beheaded..."  
  
She closed her eyes and she did cry now. "It was a vision. When you touched me, I saw it... it was horrible," she shivered.  
  
"But you don't see anything now? I mean, can't you somehow see who did kill him?"  
  
"No, I have no control over it. It just happens. But I promise, if I see anything, I will tell you."  
  
"Why? You're practically helping an enemy..."  
  
"Because I don't care. I want to help everyone, elf, human, youkai. But will you... will you stop fighting us now you know we have nothing to do with your fathers dead?"  
  
"I said I believe YOU. Who says it wasn't your sister, or your father? Maybe you don't know about it, because they didn't tell you..."  
  
Her eyes narrowed and she grasped his hand that still held her chin. "That's IMPOSSIBLE! They would never do such a thing, never! It's against our laws!"  
  
He snorted. "We'll see... I am not convinced."  
  
Suddenly, her face saddened and her grip on his hand loosened. "Yes, why am I even trying to convince you? It doesn't matter, because you will still come after us. This stupid war will never end!"  
  
He frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Think you baka! The Shikon no Tama, you're after it, just like everybody else. As long as it exists, there will be war about it!"  
  
Still frowning, he thought about her words. The Shikon no Tama... it was a dangerous object. But he wasn't after it.  
  
She stiffened as his hand left her chin and travelled down, over her throat, her collarbone, until it rested at the place where the Jewel hung on a chain on her neck.  
  
He took it and looked at it a moment, but then released it as it turned a bit black. As soon as it touched Kagome's skin, it immediately turned light again.  
  
"I do not desire the Jewel," he stated at a wide eyed Kagome. "I never did."  
  
"I hate it," she whispered, a tear falling from her eyes. "Because I am the youngest daughter, I have to guard it, but I would rather destroy it. It has cost so much damage... all those fights about it. But why don't you want it? It would give you so much power..."  
  
"I do not need any more power. I am powerful enough. Naraku however...," he looked warily at her. "Naraku will never stop trying to take it. He wants more power, I have no doubt that once he would get it, he would try to take over my lands and the Eastern Lands, and kill all human and elves, or hold them as slaves. I fight against you, but only out of revenge, and of course because I can't stand elves." He ignored the angry look she gave him. "But I don't want him to get the Jewel."  
  
She sighed. "That's at least one point in which we can agree." Suddenly a bit of hatred shone in her eyes, and he frowned at it, it seemed so unnatural for Kagome to hate. "That Naraku killed my father, and I don't really want revenge, well I did once, but now I just want to forget it all and make sure the Jewel is guarded well enough."  
  
"Do that," he said, standing up and intending to walk further. He stopped as he felt how a small hand tugged at his sleeve.  
  
"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome looked at him with a faint smile again. "Shall I show you around the castle?"  
  
He hesitated, but than nodded. As her face lit up, he felt a bit better. But he hoped he would never dream again. That dream last night had been enough to make him act all different, and he found it a bit creepy.  
  
But he shrugged it aside, what did it matter if he would explore the castle on his own or if she would accompany him? As he followed her and absently listened to her talking, and watched her walking, so alive, he realised she was not that bad company after all.  
  
He would just blame it on the dream for now.  
  



	6. Chapter Six: A tour around the castle

Chapter Six: A tour around the castle  
  
"Oh damn it!"  
  
Down one of the halls of the castle, a maid had dropped some food and was now glaring at it angrily. She sighed, why did this always happened to her? Why was she always so clumsy? She turned around as she heard someone giggle, and she smiled as she saw it was her mistress, Kagome.  
  
"Oh dear, did I scare you or something?" Kagome smiled at her.  
  
"No, Kagome-sama, you know I'm always that stupid," she replied.  
  
Kagome shook her head. "No, you're not stupid. In fact, you're just like me. Here, let me help you. Sesshoumaru, will you wait a minute?"  
  
The maid's head shot up as she suddenly noticed another person standing behind Kagome. So this was the prisoner? If she should believe the gossip she heard, he was one of the youkai leaders, and Kikyou had captured him. She held in her breath as she saw him. He sure was beautiful. She blushed, and hesitantly nodded at him, but he just kept glaring at her, showing no emotion. Nervous, she kneeled, helping Kagome to pick up what she just dropped, frowning.  
  
She was an elf, and in all the years she lived, there had never been a youkai in this castle before. They wouldn't volunteer to come here, they never managed to get the castle, and normally there were no prisoners. But this wasn't normal.  
  
As she and Kagome cleaned the mess up, Kagome turned to the cold taiyoukai again and she noticed how her mistress smiled at him, and continued to chatter. Then they set off in the castle, and she shook her head at the sight of them.  
  
Kagome's small form was walking next to the tall form of Sesshoumaru, babbling enthusiastically, making gestures with her hands, smiling and in everything the cheery person. The taiyoukai walked right next to her, cold looking, no emotion on his face, silently listening, and walking calm.  
  
An elf and a youkai next to each other.  
  
That was weird.  
  
Sesshoumaru kept staring before him, listening to Kagome talking, and in the mean time taking in everything he saw.  
  
He frowned a bit as he thought about the incident with the servant. He never in his entire life saw a higher placed person help a lower servant. If it had been his servant, he would have done something entirely different than helping her as Kagome did...  
  
Shaking the thoughts from his head, he looked carefully around the castle as Kagome told him everything about it. This girl was clever, but apparently she didn't see what a benefit it was for him to get such a close look at the castle.  
  
He could take in every single weakness of it, places where the walls could use some repairing, any weak places of which an army could take avenge. He registered it all in his head, and it was a lot he could use later.  
  
He didn't know of course that Kagome wasn't entirely stupid. The castle had secret passageways leading into the surrounding mountains, escape routes in case the people living in it were in danger, and she carefully avoided them, so that he wouldn't find out.  
  
Other, she showed him all around the place.  
  
The castle had extremely high and thick walls, almost impossible for an army to take. It had four high towers, one to the north, one to south, one to the west, and one to the east. Kagome's room had been in the southern tower for almost as long as she could remember, so she told him, but the other towers were empty and only used as watch outs for any army.  
  
There was one large courtyard at the front, in which the army usually gathered and were most activity was. There were several smaller ones, and one other that was pretty big, here were the gardens and some hot springs. In the middle of the castle were the rooms of the queen and Kikyou, plus official rooms were they greeted visitors and were other official meetings took place. These rooms and halls were all on the first floor, the rooms of Kikyou were on the second and that of the queen at the third.  
  
The left of the castle had rooms for servant and soldiers, and also the kitchen and other rooms like that. He found the rooms for servants and the space they got to be rather big, but well, there was a whole world of difference between how youkai threaded their servants and how elves thought about the same subject. Kagome told him that her two friends, whom he witnessed earlier, lived in this part of the castle too. He got long listed stories about their live, which didn't really interest him, until he heard how they came to the castle.  
  
So that monk had something to do with Naraku. He worried a bit as he heard Naraku cursed the monk's grandfather. He never knew the youkai could practice magic, and place curses. He always thought him to be rather weak.  
  
And that Sango girl. Her village had been attacked and everyone, except her, was killed. It was an army of youkai, further she didn't know, but he suspected it was Naraku. Naraku had told him once of a village with people who exterminated youkai, and who helped the elves. As he asked what Naraku wanted to do with it, the youkai had laughed evilly and just said that there was already taken care of...  
  
But he didn't tell Kagome that. He only decided to watch Naraku closer in the future. He appeared to be more dangerous than he thought...  
  
They walked all the way to the right of the castle, where usually guests stayed. It had nice, big rooms, and something Sesshoumaru noticed was how almost every room in the castle had wonderful paintings hanging in it, or there were wall paintings. Out of everything spoke that the elves were rich, but it wasn't too excessive. Everything was light and happiness spoke from it. There were no dark places in this castle, like there were no dark places in the hearts and nature of its occupants.  
  
He stiffened as suddenly a hand was waved before his face, and as he looked down, he saw it was Kagome. "Do you like reading, Sesshoumaru?" Before he could answer, she grasped his hand and all but tugged him with her, back to the middle of the castle, to a pair of big doors.  
  
She turned around and beamed at him. "I almost forgot to show you this. Besides the tower and the gardens, it's one of my favourite places!" She threw the doors open and stated happily "This is our library!"  
  
He sighed mentally, thank Kami they did have books, because to be honest, he would get bored if he had to stay here, and to answer Kagome's question, yes, he liked reading, although he hardly had any time for it normally.  
  
He followed her into the room, which was huge. Along the walls stood bookcases, and there were thousands and thousands of books, documents and maps. It was stunning, and his eyes glided curious along them. But Kagome, being as active as she was, already tugged him further to a table with a few chairs.  
  
"Take a seat!" was all she said before storming off to the walls, and only to come back with her arms full of books. "When you stay here, and you are bored, you can always come here!" she giggled. "It's really interesting!"  
  
He spent the next hour looking at Kagome, who took one book after another, pointing them out to him, telling him stories about how she always sat here when she was a child.  
  
In another castle, a youkai soldier was pacing back and forth nervously.  
  
He was nothing but a simple soldier, still young; he never served under Lord Inutaisho, but only under Lord Sesshoumaru. He always feared the taiyoukai, and thought him to be unbreakable, so needles to say, he was shocked at what he saw back at the battle.  
  
Sesshoumaru had been fighting that elven bitch, but then suddenly he had fallen to the ground, screaming and that Kikyou had hit him with an arrow. He had been busy fighting several metres away, and by the time he got there, they already carried his master away.  
  
Apparently, he was the only one who saw it, as the others were to busy watching their back. As Sesshoumaru's toad servant Jaken came asking if anyone saw their master, he had told him his story, but in turn, the toad had only attacked him with his staff, yelling about 'how he could tell such ridiculous stories about the great Lord Sesshoumaru'.  
  
He had been very pissed, and had been mocking all afternoon about the fact that nobody believed him, and then that toad had turned up again, telling him Inuyasha, his lord's brother, wanted to speak to him. So now he was scared he would receive another punishment. His Lord was famous for his rudeness and merciless killing, but his brother was famous for his horrible temper, so he didn't know who he would rather talk to.  
  
He looked up as the door opened, and Jaken came walking outside, swinging around his staff as he practically shoved him inside.  
  
In the room, Inuyasha was busy doing the same thing he just did; pacing back and forth. He only paused to order him to sit. A few minutes it was quiet, until suddenly the youngest son of Inutaisho plumbed down on a chair and huffed.  
  
"I heard you saw how Sesshoumaru was captured by elves?"  
  
"Yes, Inuyasha-sama"  
  
The other glared at him. "This is not some stupid fairy tale?"  
  
He swallowed. "No, I saw it with my very eyes! Only nobody believes me!"  
  
Inuyasha growled. "Jaken, get out!"  
  
"But..."  
  
"I said get out!"  
  
The toad glared furiously at Inuyasha before exciting the room. The soldier watched how Inuyasha turned back to look at him, muttering 'stupid toad' and let a sigh of relief at the boy's next words.  
  
"I believe you, although it is impossible, but fact is, my brother has gone missing ever since that battle. So I want you to tell what the HELL happened out there!"  
  
Kagome was busy talking to Sesshoumaru. She had showed him several books the last hour, and although she could tell he loved reading, he seemed to get a bit bored with her constant talking. Not that you could actually SEE it, as he kept that stupid mask of feigned indifference on his face all the time, but still, the signs were easily to see.  
  
She was already glad he agreed to come with her, and that he didn't do anything stupid while she showed him around. He had been silent most of the time, unnerving her with his cold look while he watched around and walked trough the corridors as if it was his own castle, scaring servants to their death with his glares. He had questioned her about the rooms servant got, and she wondered how he treaded his servants then. He had seemed disgusted with the idea of giving them proper, large rooms inside the castle, so she doubted he would threat them right.  
  
She sighed and stopped talking, as he probably didn't listen anyway and a silence fell. Being Kagome, she couldn't bear it and turned to smile at him. "So, what do you do all day when you are at home?"  
  
He raised his brows at her. "Why would you care?"  
  
"Dunno, I just wondered."  
  
"Well, what does someone when he is a Lord and has lands to control?"  
  
"Yeah, I know, you have to rule your lands, but besides that... Don't try to tell me you sit in your study all day! Even my mother doesn't do that!"  
  
He didn't answer her, and she frowned. "Really, you just rule? No free time to do what you like?"  
  
He shrugged. "I train my soldiers and practice with my weapons..."  
  
"Now that's a start!" she cheered. "Although it still has something to do with your duties. Really, it's no wonder you are all serious and stuff. You should have some fun once in a while! Was your father always that busy too?"  
  
No answer. "And your mother then? Is she back at your castle? I mean, when your father was just as busy as you seem to be, I think you would spend rather much time with your mother."  
  
"My mother is dead."  
  
"Ow... I'm sorry..."  
  
A silence fell as she stared at the side of his face. So he had lost both his parents already... How awful. Then she thought of Kaede's words that morning.  
  
Flashback  
  
Kaede sighed. "I guess you want to help him?" Kagome nodded. "Than just tell the truth, and someday he will see you don't lie. But don't press it, or he'll just get angry again. But why should you even bother, he is a prisoner, he will leave soon enough..."  
  
"I don't care. I think there is something why he is so cold..."  
  
"Maybe something from his past... Just follow your instinct child, Kami knows you have a sixth sense for how to cheer people up and help them. I'm sure you'll get to him"  
  
End Flashback  
  
Maybe this was the thing that made him so cold. Kaede thought it would be something from the past; so maybe it was his mother's death. But she would follow Kaede's advice, she wouldn't press it, she would wait patiently, maybe he would tell her once. Or else he would be gone already; after all, he was just a prisoner. He would leave someday...  
  
'He's a fortress,' Kagome decided. 'He's one of those big castles, with high walls around them and it is impossible to take them in battle. He has thrown up all kind of walls around him, around his heart, around his emotions. But were Kikyou is a master in battle and in taking castles, I am a master in gaining peoples trust and help them. And I want to help him...' she glanced up at him again. 'Yes, I will help him, I will take that fortress, bring down its walls until he trusts me completely...'  
  
Determinated to do something else after bringing up that rather painful subject, and ending the silence there now was, her gaze drifted of to her bow and arrows, which she cared with her all the time. Suddenly, she got an idea. "Hey Sesshoumaru, shall we go outside? I planned on practising somewhat with my bow, and maybe you can show me some of your weapons?"  
  
He looked coldly at her, and she couldn't see what he thought of the idea, so afraid he wouldn't agree with her, she gave him one of her puppy looks. He frowned, but in the end he nodded, and immediately, she jumped, grasped her bow and arrows, and without even bothering to put all the books back, she stormed out of the library, followed by Sesshoumaru, who of course, was walking much slower.  
  
She stormed all the halls down; until she came at the same small door she excited this morning, and stormed off in the gardens, making sure Sesshoumaru still followed her. She led him to the back of the gardens, were there was some empty space without flowers and trees and a view targets were placed against the wall of the castle. This was where she always practiced, and sometimes Kikyou too.  
  
Smiling at Sesshoumaru who stood to the side, she took an arrow and prepared to shoot it. "I am a pretty good archer you know. Kikyou and I always used to practice here when we were little. She was always better than I am, but now, we are even."  
  
She paused a moment, and released the arrow. She cheered as it struck the target exactly in the middle and spun round to Sesshoumaru. "See, I'm pretty good."  
  
"One arrow does not prove that," he replied flatly.  
  
She huffed and glared at him. Why was he so humourless? "Fine," she sighed, taking another arrow and releasing that one too. It split the first one in two before embedding itself in the middle of the target.  
  
"So, does that prove something?" she said with triumph. Sesshoumaru just gazed at her, and her expression saddened. "Hey, you are no fun. Why can't you just talk a bit?"  
  
No answer.  
  
She sighed again, and then focused on the two swords at his side. "Why don't you give a demonstration?"  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"Please, for me?" she shot him another puppy look, but he still didn't answer, and she already thought he would refuse until he drew one of the swords and held it out before him. She wanted to say something, but he gave a look that said 'talk and you'll regret it' so she shut up.  
  
He just stood there with the sword held up, and she frowned. Why didn't he do anything? Then, the sword began to glow and crackle with power; it was as if it was lightning. She watch in awe as he made one swift move with the sword, and a wave of light burst from it, heading towards the target on which she shot her arrows previously.  
  
The light blinded her momentarily, but as she looked again, the target was gone, blown up. She had heard about these swords. Elves always wore normal swords, nothing out of the ordinary, but she heard stories about the swords youkai used. They seemed to be very powerful, magical swords that could kill various people with one swipe.  
  
She never witnessed it, only heard Kikyou tell about them, but now she saw it for real. From what Kikyou told her, Sesshoumaru's sword could do much more than that, so maybe he could have blown up quit some more targets, but she was glad he didn't. Where did she have to shoot on then?  
  
"Wow," she stammered. "That was amazing Sesshoumaru!" She pointed to the other sword. "And that one? Does it have the same effect? Why are you even carrying around two swords, when you can only use one at the time?"  
  
"That," he stated. "Is none of your concern."  
  
"Ow..." she pouted a bit, it really was a shame he wouldn't show her the sword. Then her stomach began rumbling. "My, I think it is rather late. Let's go and get some food. While you stay here, you can always take dinner with us. That is with me, Kikyou and mother."  
  
He nodded at her and together they walked back inside.  
  
Sesshoumaru was sitting next to Kagome as he quietly ate his food. All the time he remained silent, only sometimes saying something to her mother as she asked him something, or sending Kikyou angry glares.  
  
But for most of the time he kept studying Kagome.  
  
He thought she was some amazing creature. One time, this morning, she had been all sad and had cried, but then suddenly she was all happy again as she led him trough the castle, and all the time she just kept talking and talking and talking...  
  
He got a bit annoyed with it, but it was not that unpleasant. It was just like she said, maybe he should get some fun someday. All he did at home was working and ruling his lands, worrying about all kind of problems, even thinking about it at night. He never really relaxed, until today.  
  
He had enjoyed himself with just walking around the castle with Kagome, then sitting in the library, and although she just kept on coming up with new books, at least he wasn't sitting in his study at home, talking to other youkai, breaking his head over something.  
  
He almost grinned as he recalled her reaction at his little demonstration with Toukijin earlier. Really, it had meant nothing, he could do much more with the sword, but she had been impressed none the less.  
  
He glanced up as Lady Aglaia began talking again. "Lord Sesshoumaru, I will have to talk to my daughters and my advisor. We will decide on what to do with you, what we will demand on any negotiations and how long you will have to stay here. So please, would you be so kind to leave us for now?"  
  
He saw how Kagome looked a bit worried suddenly, but he stood and nodded. "Very well. I will go back to my room."  
  
Without looking back, he left the room.  
  
As soon as Sesshoumaru left, Miroku entered the room from another door and sat down next to Kagome.  
  
The monk looked up at Lady Aglaia and smiled. "So my Lady, you needed my advice?"  
  
"Yes Miroku. And also I need you Kagome, and Kikyou. We will have to decide together on what to do now."  
  
Kagome frowned. "You want to negotiate with the youkai?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"And what will you ask of them?"  
  
"I don't know yet. Now, has anyone suggestions?"  
  
Kikyou stood and began pacing. "They have a lot of prisoners from our side, both elves and humans. I would say, we demand that they release them, not only any prisoners Lord Sesshoumaru has, but also prisoners from Lord Naraku and Lord Kouga."  
  
Kagome swallowed as she recalled something Sesshoumaru said to her about 'killing prisoner within twenty four hours'. Should she tell them? "Eh mother, I... Well Sesshoumaru told me something..."  
  
"Just say it Kagome," Kikyou said.  
  
"He said he usually killed prisoners within twenty four hours..."  
  
Both Miroku and her mother paled, and Kikyou became red with anger. "That bastard!"  
  
Miroku coughed. "I still think it was a good idea from Kikyou. We all know it would end rather badly with our friends if they got captured, so this is no big surprise. We will just demand that they release every prisoner they have. If Sesshoumaru has none, than Kouga and Naraku will have some."  
  
Lady Aglaia nodded. "That's settled then. Something else? I wouldn't think of money, I mean, what would we win with that? We have enough of it..."  
  
"A truce..." Kikyou whispered. Then she continued somewhat louder. "That's it! A truce! I still have some soldiers I need to train, our army can take a break, so why not? We will simply hold Lord Sesshoumaru here until all prisoners are returned and as long as he is here, they will have to swear they won't attack us. There will be no fights until he is released. I want it to be two months the least, that's all the time I need to stabilise our army."  
  
"Yes, I think that's a good idea darling," Lady Aglaia nodded at Kikyou and then turned to Miroku. "Write a letter to the younger brother of Lord Sesshoumaru. Tell him we have his brother, and write down the conditions we just summed up. Tell him we will send him another letter with a date and a meeting place so that we can negotiate. I will expect a list of every missing elf and human, and he will have to make a list of his prisoners and those of the other lords. I want to make sure every single person returns safely."  
  
Miroku nodded and bowed before hurrying off. Kagome stood too, and bowed at her mother and sister. "If you please excuse me? I will tell Sesshoumaru about this." Then she left.  
  
Sesshoumaru stood on the balcony of the southern tower. So they wanted to negotiate... He was curious as to what they would demand from his brother. What would they want so he could go home? He had no idea, but he suspected Kagome to tell him that.  
  
Almost immediately after he thought that, he could hear light footsteps coming his way and he catched her scent. After a few seconds, the door to her room opened and she stepped out onto the balcony.  
  
"I thought I would find you here" she stated before coming to stand next to him.  
  
They remained a few minutes like that, youkai and elf, standing next to each other, gazing into the distance, each one of them thinking about their own problems.  
  
"Kikyou will send a letter to your brother to tell him we captured you," Kagome began. She turned and leaned against the edge of the balcony, looking up at him.  
  
He ignored the inquiring look she gave him. "And?"  
  
"I guess you mean; what are our condition for your brother so that we will release you? Well, he and the other lords will have to make a list of their prisoners, elf and human, and they will have to release them. There will be a truce of at least two months, in which you will have to stay here, if the prisoners didn't return after two months, we will not release you. They will negotiate about it sometimes, I think somewhere in the next few days. We will check their list of prisoners with our list of missing persons. My mothers wants to be sure everyone returns."  
  
"That was it?" he asked. "Nothing more?"  
  
She grinned sheepishly. "No, nothing more. But I can tell you, when I told Kikyou you always killed your prisoners..." she shivered at this. "... she was furious. But I take it the other Lords will have prisoners too."  
  
"Oh they have..." he sighed. "Kouga only has a few, but Naraku..."  
  
Her eyes grew wide and she looked sad again. "Poor guys. I hope they are alright."  
  
He snorted. "With Naraku? That guy is sick. I would be surprised if he would release anyone."  
  
"Well, in that case, you will simply have to stay here!" she smiled at him.  
  
He didn't answer. If Naraku and Kouga refused, he would simply escape. He knew Kagome put up a barrier, but he would somehow get that thing down, who knew, she was so soft, if he got her to pity him, she would maybe even volunteer for letting him go...  
  
But first he would see what would come of those negotiations.  
  
Kagome suddenly yelped and dove past him to something that lay on the balcony. He turned and watched with his brows raised how she picked up the corpse of a little bird. He recognised it to be the one that he killed last night and he frowned as she began to walk away with it. "What are you doing? Trying to heal that thing?"  
  
She stopped and shot him a glare. "I still don't forgive you for this one," she looked a bit sad at bird which she held in her small hands as if it was made of glass. "And in case you didn't notice, it is DEAD and I can only heal those who are still alive. I am going to bury it somewhere on a peaceful place in the gardens. The poor thing..."  
  
Again, he was a bit touched by how sad she looked, and while he watched her walking away, suddenly an idea occurred to him. "Wait!" he called out to her.  
  
She turned and looked quizzically at him. "What is it Sesshoumaru?"  
  
He chuckled. "I thought you wanted to see what my second sword is capable off?"  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "What, so now you decided that piercing your nice little claws trough this poor bird isn't enough? Are you going to blow it up too? No way!"  
  
He sighed and shook his head. "Just lay it down there, I promise I won't blow it up, ok?"  
  
She cocked her head and seemed to think about it for a while, but then she slowly put the little bird down on the floor and backed away. "Just to warn you," she started. "If you do blow it up, I will curse you..."  
  
He rolled his eyes and just drew his second sword, pointing it at the bird. He concentrated on its corpse and soon he saw them. Little creatures crawling all over it. In one swift move, he slashed trough them, and there was a blinding light.  
  
He heard Kagome gasp, but he didn't need to look to know the bird was alive again, and just fine, hopping around and after a while flying off.  
  
"You... the bird... it LIVED..." Kagome stuttered.  
  
"Obvious."  
  
"H-how..."  
  
He turned the sword before him, looking at it. "This is a sword I got from my father, it's called Tenseiga. Where as the other one, Toukijin, is a more evil sword, forged to kill, this one can only heal and resurrected the dead."  
  
He sheathed the sword, and turned to go to bed, leaving a still stunned Kagome, who couldn't believe her eyes.  
  
But just before he entered his room, he could hear her whisper something.  
  
"Thank you Sesshoumaru..."  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!  
  
Lady Lydia: About the question you asked when you reviewed chapter 4, the answer is, she's going to fall in love with Sesshoumaru, as it is a Sesshoumaru/Kagome story. 


	7. Chapter Seven: Thoughts about her

Chapter Seven: Thoughts about her  
  
Five days.  
  
It had been five days since a strange, cold taiyoukai had come into her life. Five days ago, Kikyou went to battle with the crazy idea of capturing him. She never saw a youkai up close, until five days ago.  
  
At an afternoon, five days ago, she first spoke to him, and he only reacted cold, breaking her arm, and later that evening he called her a whore...  
  
Three days ago, he revived that little bird. She still couldn't believe that a sword would be capable of doing such a thing. But ever since then, she saw Sesshoumaru in another light. She doubted he revived that bird for her, if she would ask him, he probably wouldn't answer or he would claim 'it was just to show the sword, as she herself requested'. So she didn't ask, but somewhere deep inside, she still felt a bit special about it.  
  
By reviving that bird, she somehow felt as if Sesshoumaru proved he did have a heart. Foolish of course, you could not say such a thing just because someone revived a little bird. But still... and there were other things.  
  
In the garden, the afternoon before he revived the bird. He said he believed her when she told him, again, that the elves didn't kill his father. And when they spoke, she saw some look of compassion in his eyes, once or twice, but it was gone quickly, so she wasn't sure of that.  
  
The last three days, she hadn't seen him much. He went his own way, walking around the castle, and with her mother's permission, practicing with his sword outside in the gardens.  
  
Always cold, elegant and calm. Always just THE lord. Never did she see him smile, and she thought it was a pity.  
  
She sometimes imagined him smiling, picturing his face before her, and silently asking herself how he would look once he smiled. Kagome was a cheerful person, and she couldn't stand it when people were so serious as this youkai, when people always walked around as if either life was a horrible burden and there was nothing to laugh about, or as if nothing interested them, that they were obvious to the world, as if they were better than other people.  
  
It was just how Sesshoumaru acted, and Kagome thought about how he was when he was a kid. Was he also so serious back then? Never laughing, never playing? Did his mother died when he was that young, or did she live longer? When she lived longer, she had no doubt his mother played with him, because well, all mothers play with their children. Her mother did too. And especially when his father had been that busy...  
  
He looked hurt when he told her his mother died, so she didn't press it, just like Kaede told her to do. But she was determinated to find out who his mother was, and how she died.  
  
She was especially curious about how the woman had looked like. Sesshoumaru could look feminine sometimes, with the long hair and porcelain face. She had a feeling he looked like his mother.  
  
He looked like his father too... But she didn't want to think about that, as she would see her vision all over again. She just hoped Sesshoumaru's mother didn't die in such a way too.  
  
She shook her head and sighed softly as she looked down at a human, a woman from something in her early twenties. It was one of the servants, and she was ill, so Kagome came to look at her.  
  
Kagome didn't have many duties. Her mother ruled the lands in general, Kikyou was responsible for their army. Actually, the only important thing for her to do was protecting the Shikon no Tama. But Kagome always wanted to help, so when the servants were busy, she would help them with their tasks, walking around in other clothes then the expensive dresses she owned. Sesshoumaru had once walked down the halls and he had raised his brows once he recognised her, but he said nothing and just walked further as if he never saw her. She presumed he found it weird for her to act like that, but he never asked about it and she just ignored his curious stares.  
  
Kagome especially enjoyed helping Kaede. She adored the elder woman, listening to her wise words and talking animated to her. She was friends with everyone in the castle, and determinated to know everyone's name.  
  
When some new servants would come, she would visit them, asking them their names, to be friends and to please not call her 'Kagome-sama'. She hated that, it was as if she would be a better person, just because she was highborn, and she was clearly not. She knew everyone and everyone knew her. There was no doubt she was popular and everybody liked her.  
  
Also, Kagome was an excellent healer. So, mostly when someone was seriously ill, they would call her to help, although that wasn't really necessary because Kagome went to look at the sick people every now and then by herself.  
  
The woman before her now was indeed seriously ill. She was one of the servants that worked for Kikyou, and her sister had come to her this morning asking her to look at the woman. So now Kagome was trying to heal her, but it didn't really work. She had tried everything, but something was seriously wrong with the woman. She just kept whimpering and trashing around in her bed, and although it wasn't as worse as when Kagome first saw her, it still hadn't stopped.  
  
Kagome frowned and chewed on her bottom lip. Damn, what was wrong here? She sighed again and then looked over at Kikyou, who was watching her intently. "Sorry Kikyou, but I really don't know what's wrong with her. I did my best, but nothing works. The last thing I can do is trying to heal her with my powers."  
  
"Okay," Kikyou nodded. "Try it."  
  
Kagome extended her hands above the woman and shut her eyes, concentrating on her powers. Her hands began to glow in a blue light and soon the light left her hands and went to the woman. After that, the light disappeared, and Kagome eagerly opened her eyes to look at the woman. She looked a lot better, but after waiting some minutes, it became clear she still wasn't healed fully.  
  
Kagome sighed. "Well, I think it's now just some fever. I am going to search in the library for those medicine books we have, I guess there will stand something about it in them."  
  
"I'll watch over her," Kikyou offered.  
  
"Don't you have something else to do?" Kagome raised her brows. "What about the army?"  
  
"I send that letter about Lord Sesshoumaru this morning. We will first negotiate, until then, there's not much I can do. I already ordered Sango to check all our weapons, but I'll wait for the response on that letter first. Really, a truce would be helpful."  
  
"Is it that worse?"  
  
Kikyou shrugged. "We are no warriors Kagome. We are friendly people, but we have no choice than to fight. The moral is low, I can tell you that. Although there is much hatred for youkai now, they still hesitate to fight. And we lost quit a lot people a few months ago. We need new soldiers, and I already have some, but I will have to train them. And normally, I wouldn't have time for that, but with a truce and a guarantee nobody will attack us, that would be a lot easier to concentrate on."  
  
"I see. Well, I will be back in a couple of hours, to see how she is. Until then, you'll find me in the library."  
  
Kagome hurried off, waving at a passing Miroku and turning down several corridors on her way to the library.  
  
Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands  
  
On one of the towers of the castle, a silver haired person clad in red clothes stood on a balcony, gazing of into the distance.  
  
Inuyasha normally wasn't the person to be out here, it was always his older brother who would walk up the tower and stand here, thinking about Kami knows what, but this was no normal situation, so who cares?  
  
He had listened to the soldier, who claimed Sesshoumaru was captured by the elves. He had told him he watched how the Lord got cursed, hit by an arrow and carried away. It sounded ridiculous, his elder brother captured by elves...  
  
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru never really got along. They were as different as one could be. The elder one cold, composed, intelligent, arrogant, powerful, without emotion. The younger with a horrible temper, also intelligent, but without tact, less powerful, and with a face that always expressed his emotions, although it was not necessary as one could discover how he felt just by his constant yelling and his worse language.  
  
Sesshoumaru mostly ignored his younger brother, and Inuyasha was used to it. He would yell at him often, and in turn Sesshoumaru would threat him sometimes when he got too far, sometimes they even fought, being that Sesshoumaru was rather jealous of Inuyasha's sword Tetsusaiga. But that matter was settled long ago, and now they just went their way.  
  
Inuyasha somehow admired his brother, as he was strong, stronger than Inuyasha ever would be. Sometimes he thought about using that Shikon Jewel, if they ever got it. Maybe then he could get just as powerful as Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru obviously wasn't interested in it, so...  
  
But no, they had years ago promised their father they would never use it. Their father had warned them about it, that it was a dangerous object, and they'd better not use it. And Inuyasha was no fool, no matter how often Sesshoumaru said so.  
  
He worried a lot about Naraku and his desire for the Jewel. He was positive his brother worried about it too, although he never said it, Inuyasha saw how Sesshoumaru always silently studied Naraku, brows raised or eyes narrowed. He had a feeling that his brother planned on getting the Jewel before Naraku could get it, and keep it away from the youkai.  
  
But with Sesshoumaru, you never knew what he was up to.  
  
It was clear that his brother trusted nobody. He went his way, telling no one about his plans, or how he felt. Inuyasha too didn't trust everyone, but he was opener than his brother. He couldn't hide his feelings like that. There had been a time when Sesshoumaru was different, but that was long ago and he rather avoided thinking about that time. It brought back memories that weren't too pleasant...  
  
Inuyasha shook his head and decided to go back. Before you knew it, he would turn into the same thoughtful ice prince as Sesshoumaru was. He shuddered at the thought.  
  
He was just about to turn, as his sensitive ears caught the sound of fluttering wings. His head shot up to see a large eagle coming his way, clutching something white in its claws. It was a beautiful animal, elegant and impressing, but Inuyasha only growled and lunged at it.  
  
He cursed as the bird dropped whatever it was holding and flew away, screeching again as if to say 'you'll never get me'. He growled again as he picked up the paper that lay on the ground.  
  
"Damn those elves."  
  
It was infuriating, really. The elves used to send bodes to bring over their messages, but Naraku started to capture them and ever since then, those damn birds turned up. But well, there was nothing to do about it, he decided.  
  
He rolled out the letter and quickly screened the page. As Sesshoumaru was missing, he thought it would be alright.  
  
After a few minutes, his jaw dropped and the letter fluttered to the ground as he released it. So that soldier had been right after all. Sesshoumaru had been captured...  
  
"Fuck it!" he yelled, grasping the letter again and sprinting down the stairs. He ran trough the castle, yelling all the time. "Jaken! Where the hell is that stupid toad when you need him? Jaken, get your ass over here!"  
  
When he turned around a corner, he stumbled over something small and fell, face first into the floor. He cursed, crawled back up and glared over his shoulder as he heard someone else curse too. Seeing it was Jaken, he sighed and rolled his eyes. Someday, he was going to kill that toad.  
  
He whacked the toad over the head before trusting the letter to it. "Here, read."  
  
After reading the letter, Jaken just stood there with bulging eyes. "This humble servant does not understand this..."  
  
"I don't get what you don't understand! Sesshoumaru has been captured, that's as simple as it is. Damn it! What am I supposed to do now?" He grasped the letter again and reread it before coming to a decision. "Jaken!" the toad quickly looked up. "Write a letter to Naraku and Kouga, tell them what's going on and to make a list of their prisoners. They have to release them. The same counts for us."  
  
"B-but, Lord Sesshoumaru will be pissed if you release any prisoners. He will surely escape sometime."  
  
"Baka! If he could escape, he already would've done that, so stop nagging! We can't risk getting him killed, so send those letters and make a list of our prisoners!"  
  
"Alright alright!" Jaken turned and hurried away, while Inuyasha went the other way, still cursing their bad luck.  
  
The elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
The library of the castle had some high windows, who let a lot of light falling in, so that the room was light and pleasant. They also had large windowsills, and on one of them sat a certain youkai lord, a book in his hands while he was gazing out of the window.  
  
Sesshoumaru had tried to busy himself the best he could the last five days. He was annoyed that he had to leave his lands alone, in his younger brother's hands, who no doubt would ruin all his plans and had no tact or experience whatsoever to accomplish this task. He himself would spend hours in his study, making difficult decisions and such. But he was used to it. His father always trained him when he was young, always pointing out to him that he one day had to rule their lands. Inuyasha had more freedom, if Inuyasha would skip some of the lessons they got, just to go outside and roam the lands, he would only get a reprimand. If he, the eldest son, would do such a thing, he could expect punishment. Inuyasha was carefree, their father's favourite, and he was allowed quit some more than Sesshoumaru was.  
  
Maybe that's why he was so jealous sometimes. The young Sesshoumaru always longed to play sometimes, and when his mother still lived, she made sure he got some time off. But after she died... And his brother even got the better sword. The sword he got was rather useless. What's the point of reviving people, or heal them? He could care less.  
  
But he had decided that he could do nothing about it, and so he just ignored Inuyasha and his father. After the dead of his mother, he closed himself of. After the events that led to her death, he trusted nobody anymore. His cold demeanour was only slightly stopped on that fateful day, when he found his father, dead. For the first time in years, he felt something akin to emotion. He had felt anger, grief, that sort of things. But it was gone soon enough, and his cold mask would slip back on. He had convinced himself that emotions were weak. They were useless.  
  
Maybe that's why he couldn't get Kagome out of his head.  
  
He had been sitting here for hours, trying to read, to busy himself, to do anything to avoid thinking of her again, but here again, she popped up in his mind. He had never met a being that could express so many emotions all in once. She left other elves far behind her on that domain.  
  
Those large eyes of her, they just expressed everything. She was as easy to read as a book. He tried to convince himself she was weak, that showing so many emotions was a weakness of her, but as he observed her the last few days, he came to the conclusion that to her, it was no weakness, it may even be her strength.  
  
Five days had he been here now. After two days spending a lot of time around Kagome, as she showed him around the castle, he had been avoiding her the last three days. He found her to be rather dangerous, getting him to act the way he did after that dream. He thought that if he would keep his distance, he would still dislike her. So he went his own way, and no weird dreams came anymore. So he should have stopped thinking about her, isn't it? But the fact was, he couldn't get her out of his head. Everytime, when he was thinking about something else, or finally got to read his book, suddenly he would think of her again and see her eyes before him. Somehow, his curiosity for this girl hadn't lessened a single bit.  
  
And she also popped up in reality quit a lot. Of course, his room was next to hers, so sometimes he saw her in the morning or evening, and at dinner, he couldn't avoid her too, but somehow, as he walked the corridors, he would pass her on her way to Kami knows what. Once he even saw her helping a servant, doing THEIR job, and dressed in THEIR clothes. This girl was really weird. He wouldn't have recognised her, but she was joking with the servant girl she was helping, and as she laughed, he recognised her. One could recognise her laugh out of thousand. It was clear, and warm, sounding happy even as she didn't felt like it. It would engulf you, and you would feel all warm and loved, he had shuddered at it and wondered if she had this effect on everyone. He thought that that would probably be the case, as everyone seemed to know and like her. It seemed impossible to hate her, even if she was an elf, and he decided that indeed, he couldn't hate her. He didn't know if he liked her, but at least, he didn't hate her.  
  
He looked out of the window once more, letting the sunlight illuminate him, enjoying the feel of it on his pale skin. With a sigh, he closed his book. Being a prisoner at least had one benefit, he now had all the spare time he once whished for, he could do whatever he wanted, as long as he didn't leave the castle, which was impossible for him. But he still wasn't satisfied, not as long as these thoughts would keep bothering him.  
  
Kagome was a mystery, he decided. A mysterious being, warm and caring, but complicated, maybe just as complicated as he was, but in her own way. She didn't hide her feelings like he did, but he felt like she too, didn't told everyone the truth, just as he did. He had seen her smile a lot, in fact, the only thing she did was smile, he thought with a grin. But if you looked closely, not every smile was truly happy. Some of them were so sad... As much as he kept everything hidden behind a cold façade, she did the same, only after a cheery one. But they were both fake, and he knew it.  
  
He was brought from his thoughts as he catched the smell of Sakura blossom and jasmine. 'Kagome,' he thought. 'when will you ever leave me alone?' He hesitated a moment, should he leave? She was heading this way, and he was trying to avoid her. But no, he remained where he was, silent, and he closed his eyes. Maybe he was a bit lonely, as he wasn't worried at the thought of her endless chatter. He once found it annoying, but he learned to appreciate it later. The girl wasn't brainless, as he first thought. Actually, she could be rather intelligent, but every sense was wasted on her once her compassion showed itself. Then, she would help anyone, no matter who it was, regardless if it was dangerous. She was silly and intelligent the same. Funny combination...  
  
He heard the door open and close, and waited for her to yell his name, but it never came. He heard her moving around, muttering something under her breath, and curious, he opened his eyes. She was standing before some bookshelves, searching for some book. As he already explored the library, he noticed she was standing by the medicine books. 'Trying to heal another 'innocent' person?' he thought amused.  
  
Finally, she seemed to have found the book she sought for, but unfortunately, it stood rather high, so now she was jumping, trying to get it. Sesshoumaru followed it all with amusement, eyes crinkled in laughter for a moment, but it was gone soon enough. The girl seemed to realise this was getting her nowhere, and she started to search for something to help her, as Sesshoumaru decided it was time to acknowledge her of his presence.  
  
"I thought elves were rather tall people," he stated in a low voice.  
  
Kagome jumped and whirled around, but she stumbled and felt flat on her rear. Blushing a deep red, she got up again and glared at him. "Really Sesshoumaru, you shouldn't scare people like that!"  
  
He raised a brow. "I thought you could sense me with your powers?"  
  
"Well I was thinking about something you know. I didn't expect you here." She looked at the book again and sighed. "Elves are tall, most of them, but I'm rather small." She pouted. "It's not fair."  
  
He grabbed his book and with one elegant jump stood on the ground again. He studied her for a moment, before reaching towards the book, pulling it out and giving it to her. "You are small indeed," he stated.  
  
Her face lit up as she grabbed the book out of his hands. "Thank you!" she hurried off to the table in the center of the room, throwed to book at it and began searching trough it.  
  
He seated himself opposite of her, and attempted to read again. But every now and then, he would look up to study her. She was frowning in concentration, her finger going over the pages as she spitted trough the large book.  
  
"What are you searching?" he asked her as an hour passed.  
  
She looked wary at him. "A servant is sick, and I'm searching for some herbs to give her. I'm not sure which I should use, so..."  
  
"I see"  
  
Another half an hour later, she suddenly shrieked happily and shut the book close. "I found it! And I know Kaede has it somewhere in the gardens!"  
  
He expected her to rush off, get the herb and go on with her lifesaving mission, but he noticed she was staring at him. He sighed and looked up. "What is it?"  
  
Her eyes grew wide, she probably thought he wouldn't notice, but then she looked thoughtful. "I was just wondering... aren't you homesick?"  
  
He raised his eyebrows at her.  
  
"I mean, it's only been five days, but I would miss everyone at home if I had to spend five days or longer somewhere else. Don't you miss someone? Kikyou told me you had a younger brother..."  
  
"Inuyasha is a fool. And no, I'm not 'homesick' or something like that. It only irritates me that I cannot rule my lands."  
  
Her expression saddened a bit. "Oh... well I guess that's logical..."  
  
A silence fell, but she still didn't leave and he could sense she had something else to ask, but she didn't dare to do so. He felt irritated, she was getting on his nerves again, like she managed to do so often. He shut his book and looked impatiently at her. "What?"  
  
"How do you mean what?"  
  
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Just say what you want to say wench, this is getting you nowhere."  
  
"My name is Kagome in case you didn't notice. And not wench! And... I just wanted to ask something. Kikyou send a letter to your brother this morning, but what I really wanted to know... is it true that you have no prisoners? I mean, did you really kill them all? I can't imagine you would be so evil." She flashed him a tiny smile.  
  
"I indeed have no prisoners," he stated. As she looked sad once more, he quickly added "but Inuyasha does."  
  
She frowned. "Your brother has prisoners?"  
  
"Inuyasha has... how shall we call it... a rather weak spot for humans and elves," Sesshoumaru said sarcastically. "Everytime he feels like saving one from my evil claws, he claims he needs another slave or servant. So yes, in a way, we do have prisoners."  
  
She was fully smiling now. "See, I knew you weren't that evil! Everyone has a good side in him, somewhere... And now they will be released, if everything goes the way we want." She stood now, picked up the book and began walking to the door. As she reached it, she paused and looked back at him. "I just wanted to say sorry."  
  
He frowned. "Sorry for what?"  
  
"For putting you in this situation. If it was for me, you would already be free. No one has the right to take others freedom, not even for the purpose of saving our friends. But there is nothing I can do about it... well, I guess I see you at dinner. Good day to you Sesshoumaru."  
  
At that, she was gone, leaving Sesshoumaru to another few hours of puzzling and thinking about her.  
  
Kagome had gone back to her patient after retrieving the herbs she needed. Now, the woman was doing well, and she left Kikyou alone with her. Walking down the corridors, she walked into Sango, who suggested they would go to the hot springs together. After getting her stuff, and shaking a smiling Miroku off, they were now in one of the hot springs, relaxing and chatting about their day.  
  
"Kikyou wanted me to check our weapons, and I can tell you, we need that truce. We will have to repair quit a lot and Kikyou has to train new soldiers. In a way, I'm glad Kikyou captured that youkai lord, it gives us some time to prepare for new attacks from their side."  
  
Kagome sighed. "I don't know. I still think it is wrong. You know, Sesshoumaru actually isn't that bad..."  
  
"How can you say that? He's a youkai!"  
  
"Being a youkai doesn't mean he has to be evil."  
  
"Well then just think of what he told you, about him killing prisoners." Sango looked angry now, eyes burning with hatred, she was probably remembering what happened to her family and the village in which she lived.  
  
"But they do have prisoners!" Kagome protested. "He told me this afternoon!" At Sango's odd look, she raised her brow. "What?"  
  
"You had a civilized conversation with him?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"No attacking?"  
  
"No"  
  
"No offending"  
  
"No, well he called me wench once"  
  
"See, I knew it couldn't be a whole civilized conversation after all!"  
  
Kagome sighed. "He called me that only once. Actually, he was quit nice. I don't think he is such a bad guy."  
  
Sango grumbled a bit. "Whatever you say Kagome. As your friend, I will trust you, but let me warn you too; don't trust him, okay?"  
  
Kagome frowned by herself. 'I don't know if I should trust him. I don't think I do. I just think he isn't that bad. But I swore to myself I would make him trust me, because I want to help him, so that means I will have to trust him too. I guess I'm coming a bit closer to him. I'm nearing the walls of that castle that is Sesshoumaru. The first walls, the first hindrance I have to take. But I'm standing at the feet of them without being shot. I guess I should go on...' She looked up at Sango, who was still looking expectantly at her. "I'll see," she offered with a smile.  
  
Sango smiled. "That's good enough, it's not as if I would get a yes out of you. Now tell me, could you help me with Miroku? Curse him a bit or so?"  
  
"Oh come on, do you really want to do that? I know you like him..."  
  
Sango blushed. "No I don't! Please, just help me once. We still have to punish him for last month, you know, when he groped us both."  
  
Kagome suddenly huffed. "Oh I know what you mean! That idiot... Okay, I'm gonna help you. Any ideas?"  
  
Naraku's castle, Northern Lands  
  
Far north laid Naraku's castle, a dark castle, hidden in a valley. But it was different from the valley in which the elven castle lay. It was a dark valley, there always hung a grey mist and the atmosphere was everything but friendly.  
  
Down one of the corridors in the castle walked a young youkai woman. She was tall and slender, with black hair that she wore in a bun at the back of her head. Tucked in her hair were a few feathers, and she wore long earrings. She had piercing red eyes, and clutched a fan in her hands, which she was fumbling nervously with.  
  
Kagura was the daughter of one of the most feared youkai (if you would skip Sesshoumaru away) a dark man who she hated. At the moment, she was trying to get her nerves in check as she had to tell him a bad message, and he would probably punish her for it, even if she could do nothing about it and only told him the news.  
  
As she reached his study, she waited a few seconds before she knocked on the door. She shuddered as she heard his low voice, ordering her to come in. She stepped inside and walked over to the dark haired man who sat against one of the walls.  
  
The man was handsome, with long dark hair that hung over his shoulders, and crimson eyes. But you immediately understood why the young woman was scared of him. The gaze in his eyes, the evil smirk, his aura, everything on him screamed 'evil'.  
  
He turned his gaze to his oldest daughter and grinned. "Well Kagura, tell me, what's the matter?"  
  
Kagura shot him a cold glare. "A message has arrived for you father."  
  
"Indeed. Go on."  
  
"Inuyasha, the younger brother of Lord Sesshoumaru has informed us that Lord Sesshoumaru has been captured by the elves. The elves want to negotiate, and Inuyasha tells us to make a list of our prisoners. They have to be released."  
  
"Or else our precious Sesshoumaru is dead?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
Kagura watched her father nervously as he gazed at the wall opposite of him and said nothing. But despite the fact that she was nervous about his reaction, she was curious if he seriously would release their prisoners, who were quit a lot. "Father, shall I order to make the list?"  
  
To her surprise, he nodded at her. "Do that Kagura."  
  
"You plan on releasing them?"  
  
"No, as I do not care if Sesshoumaru dies or not. In fact, it would be rather helpful, we could take over his lands once he is dead. That brother of his is useless, it would be easy to do so. Yes...," Naraku grinned and as he turned to look at her, she shuddered as she saw the evil glint in his eyes. "I have a plan Kagura, but I will tell you later, after the negotiations. All I can tell you is that they will get their precious friends back, elves and humans, only not how they expect it..."  
  
As Kagura left to follow his orders, she could long hear him laughing madly.  
  
Waterdragonmaster: Yeah, cute isn't it?  
  
Misti Star: No, don't worry I'm not mad at all. I know there are a lot of errors, it's just, I don't know English that well (I'm still learning it) and I have no beta, so... I hope it isn't too annoying, please bear with me? I'm still glad you like the story!  
  
Rini: Hehe, you don't even have to ask, I'll write a chapter anyway, but still nice... So there was actually someone else out there with the same idea as I had huh? (you know, with elves and demons) Nice name by the way! -  
  
Lady Lydia: Tsssss first kiss, I know, everyone wants to read that one... To be honest, I don't know myself when it's going to happen, all I know is that I'm waiting a little bit more, I mean, they barely know each other at the moment. But don't worry, it will happen!  
  
Wow, I never waited so long before I updated, normally I'm pretty fast with it. But well, holiday was over, so... back to school and that means homework homework homework : ( But this time, it is a long chapter, and I didn't forget you! 


	8. Chapter Eight: The diary

**_Chapter Eight: The diary  
_**  
_Dear diary,  
  
Life can be so dull.  
  
Sometimes, I ask myself, what purpose do we have? Why do we even live on this earth? Are we that important? Or that useless? Would it be bad if we all die? Or would it be a blessing? Does it even matter at all?  
  
There are days, in which I think I'm happy. I think that, because I'm not sure. What is 'being happy' exactly? When you laugh and have fun? Can you even be happy when there is so much sorrow around you? So much pain?  
  
Nevertheless, there are days in which I want to forget it all. Then I only see how bright the sun shines, how green the grass is, how beautiful the flowers are. I only feel a soft, caring wind, that whispers to me "enjoy life". I only hear how wonderful the birds sing, how many butterflies there are, flying around in the air, free like the wind itself. I only see people with laughing faces, and I laugh myself. I feel good, I feel free, I feel alive.  
  
Those are the 'light', the happy days.  
  
Then there are the other days... Somehow, these wonderful light days don't last long. They come and go, swift as the wind, they are as bright as the sun, but when they are gone, only darkness remains...  
  
I only see the world in black. The grass turns brown, the sun disappears, a hard wind blows. It is dead quiet. In my visions, I see only death. I see people crying, I see their sorrow so clearly, it's breathtaking. I no longer remember the good memories like me and Kikyou, playing together when we were young. I only remember the bad things, the 'dark' days of my long life.  
  
Sometimes, I whished I would live as short as a human does. They come, and not so long after that, they're gone. They don't have to life as long as I have to. They don't have to see so much pain and sorrow like I do. They don't have to live so long trough this mess that we call 'life'.  
  
I also ask myself, are the people that stupid? Are they that short-sighted that they don't see what they are doing to each other and this world? That they destroy everything, even life, for nothing but only a jewel?  
  
I am the only person who sees it, so it seems. I feel lonely, ignored and depressed. I smile and I joke, because I don't want them to worry about me.  
  
But on the inside, I'm screaming.  
  
Screaming for someone to understand me, to help me, to end this dull life of sleeping, eating, healing people, feeling bored and useless all day, smiling all day, sleep again and all the time being only one woman with no real power to end all this. I'm screaming for someone who'll notice the fake life I live, for someone to talk to, for someone who makes me feel happy and comfortable, and not useless.  
  
Someone to end all the dark days.  
  
Someone who'll make me truly smile again.  
  
Kagome  
_  
The raven haired girl smiled sadly as she closed the book she held. It was old, it had seen many years, judging by the state it was in. Slightly yellow pages, edges a bit damaged, all things which proved that fact.  
  
The girl stood, wiping away a lone tear that travelled down her cheek. She sniffled a bit, shook her head and proceeded to put away the diary. She trailed her finger over it once, wondering if anybody would ever read it later. If anyone would ever care about who wrote it, and wonder how that person was. She would live a long time, but she wasn't really immortal. She came close enough, but eventually, she would die. What would happen then, would someone find it? But even if anyone would actually care, it would be already too late. She would be dead...  
  
The girl closed her eyes briefly as she felt something approaching. It was still miles away, but it was going fast. Her eyes shot open again as she felt the foreboding feeling grow. Something wasn't right.  
  
She turned and hurried down the stairs, one after one, her feet barely touching them as she ran, her dress flapping behind her. Moments later, she was in the courtyard, just as the gate opened.  
  
One rider came in like a whirlwind, the horse rearing before it came to a stop just in front of her.  
  
Now the elves don't always use normal horses like humans and youkai, they also use unicorns, like this one happened to be. Unicorns were beautiful and mystical creatures, and so in a way just like their masters.  
  
Riding the unicorn was an elf, dressed as a soldier, with long blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His normally beautiful face was contorted in worry and also in pain, as he was wounded at his arm.  
  
Kagome gasped as she saw this and ran to his side. "What happened? What's wrong? Please, let me see your arm!"  
  
The soldier pried her hand of his arm. "No time, no time! I need Kikyou- sama here, quick!"  
  
Kagome nodded and quickly let a servant get Kikyou. She however already came, no doubt sensing the soldier's arrival too. "What is it?" She demanded.  
  
The soldier bowed his head before he rambled on. "An attack, Kikyou-sama! One of our castles to the north has been attacked! We need your help there, now!"  
  
Kikyou clenched her jaw. "Alright, I'll come with you."  
  
Kagome looked worried at her. "Is there anything I can do Kikyou?"  
  
"No nothing."  
  
"Really? Shall I heal this soldier?"  
  
Her sister sighed as she pushed Kagome out of her way. "Kagome, be so kind and go bothering someone else. It's war, I need that soldier. There's nothing you can do, just stay here. And now let me pass, I have to hurry!"  
  
Minutes later Kagome watched them leave with some new troops. She turned as she sensed her mother's presence behind her.  
  
"Well, and there she goes again. I just hope she returns home save... Kagome, is there something wrong?"  
  
Kagome turned towards her mother and smiled. "No mother, it's nothing, don't worry." Flashing her another smile, she turned and left. However, as soon as she turned, that smile had vanished.

Two months later  
  
Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands  
  
In once room, a certain boy was pacing back and forth while he held a paper in his hands. He paused shortly as he teared the paper in as many pieces as he could, then he started pacing again, his body as tense as it could be. A soft growl left his throat and then, in once quick move, his claws slashed trough the air and a table to his left was cut in two. He stood looking at it a moment, flexing his claws, as he suddenly did something strange.  
  
He slapped himself.  
  
Inuyasha watched how a tiny being fluttered of his nose onto his hand. He looked annoyed how the flee youkai dusted himself off before standing and glaring at him.  
  
"Now Inuyasha-sama, is THAT a way of greeting this humble servant? And what would your brother say when I tell him how you destroyed his home?" As Inuyasha only snorted, his glare intensified. "What?!"  
  
"One, you're spending too much time with that toad thing. Two, this is MY room, and MY table. Three, you would NEVER, ever run to my brother, the danger of being around him hasn't escaped your attention. Four, the idiot isn't even here."  
  
The flee gave a little snort of his own. "I didn't came to hear speeches from you. I am the wisest here." As Inuyasha squeezed him, he began yelling. "No, please, show mercy! I just want to know what was in that letter!"  
  
This effectively got Inuyasha's attention somewhere else as he looked worried again. "Those baka elves," he muttered.  
  
The flee began jumping around. "It was from the elves? Any news of Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
Inuyasha's look got darker. "No, nothing. They only want to negotiate."  
  
"In THEIR castle?!"  
  
"No, in a castle near our borders. Or well, it is on their grounds, AND one of their castles, but not the main one. And it's not as if we would have a say in this at all. But what do you want Myouga?"  
  
Myouga looked thoughtful at him before speaking. "You are nervous!"  
  
A snarl clang, before Inuyasha fell silent, realising Myouga was right. He was nervous. Tomorrow, he had to leave to that castle, meet three people he didn't like, namely Kouga, Naraku and Kikyou and he actually had to negotiate. He now wished he had paid more attention in all the lessons he received, and had listened more to Sesshoumaru. Then he would be able to do this, maybe... But now, he didn't know how to handle this.  
  
"Oi, Myouga, you are coming with me!"  
  
Myouga's eyes bulged out. "B-but I-I thought Jaken was coming?!"  
  
Another snort. "That toad is only good for insulting elves and humans, and pissing me off. Oh and maybe doing some minor stuff for me or Sesshoumaru. But, I need ADVISE, damn it, didn't you say you were the wisest?"  
  
A nervous laugh. "Forget that, I'm dumb. I'm an idiot! I don't even know my own name! I..."  
  
Inuyasha squeezed the flee again as it attempted to flee. "Oh no, forget it! You are not going to hide somewhere like a coward!"  
  
"I am no coward," came the somewhat muffled reply.  
  
Inuyasha grinned as he left his room, shutting the door with a loud bang and kicking a half sleeping Jaken who had been waiting outside.  
  
"No Myouga, you ARE a coward."

Elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
Sesshoumaru sat on a tree somewhere in the gardens, watching Kagome as she was running around, organising everything. There would be a party tonight, and both elves and humans were busy carrying tables outside and adjusting decorations. All of them looked happy, despite the fact that it was war. Some were humming songs, and he was startled as Kagome began singing softly, followed by others. Even although he couldn't stand elves, he still had to admit, she had a wonderful voice. As he was listening, his thoughts drifted off, and he inwardly groaned as he thought back to this morning.  
  
Flashback  
  
He woke up from a deep and good sleep, something which hadn't happened in years. He unconsciously sniffed the air for her scent, something he did all mornings since he came here, but he didn't notice it himself. It had been eight days now. Eight days of being around all those damn elves and humans. He still found them to be filthy, but her scent still remained as intoxicating as ever.  
  
Not that he would ever admit that.  
  
He didn't smell nor sensed her around, but he shrugged it aside. It's not as if it would interest HIM what THAT girl was doing.  
  
He got up, picked up his swords and left his room. Just as he shut the door, a blue and black whirlwind passed him, coming from the stairs. Judging by the scent, he identified it as her.  
  
Seconds later, she came out of her room again, carrying something and heading towards the stairs as she noticed him staring at her.  
  
"Oh hi Sesshoumaru! Lovely morning, isn't it? Well, I uh... I need to help with this, so..."  
  
"Help with what?"  
  
She blinked. "I didn't tell you? Oh well, you know Kikyou leaves tomorrow, for eh..." her face darkened. "... negotiating... Anyway, we have a party tonight!"  
  
"A party?"  
  
"Yeah, you know, just a way of saying 'goodbye' and wishing them good luck. But don't worry, even though you're a prisoner, you can still come!"  
  
He raised one single brow. "Who says this Sesshoumaru would go to something as pathetic as a party?"  
  
Her smile faded. "What, you don't want to come? Oh no, not that serious attitude again! I told you, you should have some fun, it would do you good!" Her expression became determinated. "No matter how, I'll get you there, even if I have to put a spell on you."  
  
She never got the time to do anything as he pinned her against the wall. How could she talk to him like that?! She flinched as he snarled at her, but then she got angry.  
  
"What is it now? I only want to help you, your majesty!"  
  
"You have no right to order me around, wench!"  
  
"Oh is it that? You are far too arrogant for you own good! And I told you..." he looked alarmed as her body began glowing blue. "... I would get you there."  
  
Blue light surrounded him before it died away, but he sensed nothing.  
  
"What did you do bitch?"  
  
"Just a little spell. You can't go further away from me then a few feet, so you simply have to go to the party."  
  
She gently pushed him aside and ran out of his reach, down the stairs. After a moment, he was yanked forward, after her.  
  
"Bitch," he mumbled.  
  
"My name is Kagome!" was the angry reply.  
  
End Flashback  
  
So that was why he was forced to follow her around. He couldn't even relax up in this tree, because she would interrupt his thoughts every once in a while to ask his opinion on something, only to run off again so he had to jump out of the tree and follow her. The last time she came asking something, he only growled at her, but she just teased him 'how he was in a bad mood apparently'.  
  
'Hn, bad mood is an understatement,' he thought darkly. 'How could she pull off a stunt like that? But well, on the other hand, that's just her. Always obvious to the fact that she is disobeying ME, a taiyoukai. And the worst thing is, she still lives.' He narrowed his eyes as he watched her chatting with everyone and giving orders. 'How can one girl be so hyper?'  
  
But, as he thought off it, she was being a bit too hyper. In the following hours, he kept watching her from his spot high up in the tree.  
  
And so he noticed a lot of things. How she would laugh when someone was near, but as soon as she was alone, her smile faded and her expression became sad. He was just thinking about how fake it all was, as a soft voice brought him out off his musings. As he looked down, she stood there, looking tired and sad, the wind playing with her hair as it blowed around her face. But still, she flashed him a smile.  
  
"What is it wench?"  
  
Now her face contorted in anger. "I just wanted to tell you I have to change for tonight, so you won't fall out of that tree again, remember my little spell? And... oh just forget it!"  
  
He jumped off the branch he was sitting at and landed softly before her.  
  
"It seems I am not the only one with a 'bad mood'," he purred in her ear.  
  
As he walked away, he noticed she followed him, but he didn't notice how she shivered and gave him a sad and surprised look. 

Kagome sat next to her mother as she observed all the people that were dancing and laughing. Tomorrow, Kikyou would leave with some soldiers to negotiate with the enemy. At the moment, Kikyou was sitting on the other side of their mother, looking serious and not pleased at all with the party, just like Sesshoumaru was this morning. She pouted a bit, it had been her idea, organising a party just to forget their sorrow and worries for a moment. Her mother had been enthusiastic, along with everyone else, so the party was organised. She looked around to find Sango and saw her sitting somewhat further at the table, next to Miroku, who had a red hand print on his face. She was a bit sad as Sango told her she would go with Kikyou, but she decided she wouldn't think of it tonight. It was a pity though, her best friend would be gone for days, and they still hadn't thought off any revenge for Miroku for groping them. That would've been so much fun. Luckily, at least Miroku was staying, but he was her mother's advisor and so very busy too. But well, she was used to it, everyone gone, doing something and leaving her to sit at home, doing nothing.  
  
So she just made fun, danced with Miroku, who would stay, and a few other people. Of course, this would prove to be a problem as her spell on the taiyoukai still worked.  
  
He had said almost nothing to her, he only waited in the hall as she changed into a long, red dress. She asked him what he thought of it, but he only gave her a glare and further followed her, as he had no other choice. She had the idea he was VERY pissed at her.  
  
He had settled down a few seats away from her, and he had sat there all evening, looking impassive, so after a while, she lifted the spell, after all, she wanted to dance and he wouldn't ruin that for her just because he had a bad mood.  
  
He seemed obvious to the stares he got, but almost everyone was looking at him. Some people with interest, as they never saw a youkai this close. Soldiers with fear and respect, remembering him from the battlefields. 'And of course, every female has to stare after him because of his looks,' Kagome noted dryly. Not that he seemed to care, as he levelled everyone with the same cold glare.  
  
Now, she was sitting here and observing him. She should somehow get him to do something, even if it was just talking, she decided.  
  
Just then, he got up and walked away. She blinked a few times before excusing herself and hurrying after him. She called out to him, but he ignored her, so she did the only thing she could think off.  
  
She activated the spell again.  
  
He was yanked a few feet back towards her, and she swallowed as she saw the murderous look he gave her.  
  
Seconds later, her back was against a tree and his claws were mere inches away from her face.  
  
"Did I not tell you to not order this Sesshoumaru around?"  
  
She swallowed again as she looked into his golden orbs, but she decided not to back away but stand tall. "I don't order you around, I just want to help."  
  
"By letting me follow you to such a pathetic party, and with all humans and elves none the less?" his nose crinkled in disgust. "I will not forget this stench in another thousand years."  
  
Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly put a hand on his chest, summoning her powers and blasting him a few feet away. "It was thought as a distraction, in case you were homesick, and I still think you should have some fun and not be so serious. And we don't stink!"  
  
He snorted. "What gives you the impression I am homesick? I already told you I wasn't."  
  
"Stop joking, you just have to be! Everyone misses their home and their family, I at least always do! I bet you miss your home too, and your brother, and your friends!"  
  
"I told you Inuyasha is a fool. It is a blessing to be away from his stupidity. And this Sesshoumaru doesn't have any friends."  
  
Her eyes widened. "You don't have any friends?"  
  
"Tell me woman, are you deaf? Friends are useless."  
  
She looked with pity at him, no surprise he was lonely and had no friends, with his attitude... but still. Then she thought off what he said of his brother. She smiled a bit at him. "You are jealous," she stated.  
  
Her only answer was the momentarily widening of his eyes. "This Sesshoumaru does not know what you mean."  
  
She throwed her hands in the air in an irritated gesture. "Kami, can't you stop saying 'this Sesshoumaru'? What's wrong with you? That's no way of talking." He only smirked at her, obviously enjoying her little outburst. She gritted her teeth before continuing. "I am speaking of your brother. You're jealous of him."  
  
He frowned a bit. "How do you mean?"  
  
She shrugged. "You know, the usual jealousy between siblings. It happens within every family. I can tell you are jealous. I don't know of what, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's just, I recognise it. Believe me, the rows Kikyou and I had... She's jealous at me, because she thinks I'm mother's favourite. But that's not true... And I always thought she was father's favourite, but in fact, our parents love us both in the same way..."  
  
He seemed to think about her words, and she jumped as he spoke after a long silence. "Well, we do have our issues..."  
  
"Funny," she tilted her head a bit to the side. "I can't really imagine you shouting at your brother in one of those typical sibling fights."  
  
"Who says I shout?"  
  
"What else would you suggest doing then?" He gave her a flat and annoyed look, and suddenly, it dawned on her. "You... you mean you actually FIGHT?!"  
  
"Of course. Being that one of our 'issues' is a sword. I must note that my poor brother seems to loose a lot. But don't worry, at least he's good at yelling. In fact, it is the only thing he does. Acting without thinking. He has no tactic whatsoever. He would make a poor general."  
  
She snorted. "And you would be good at tactic? In war, yes, but in real life, no way!"  
  
He looked at her with a bit of amusement in his eyes. "Really?"  
  
"Yes, you're too arrogant, thinking everyone will comply with your will. No decent and polite asking with you, you just order around. Of course, the fact everyone obeys you doesn't help too much."  
  
He smirked now and he stepped closer towards her. "Oh, but not everyone obeys..."  
  
She became nervous, but covered it by asking more things. "What's so special about a sword that you would fight about it?"  
  
He looked at her as if she was crazy. "Tetsusaiga is one of the most powerful swords you can get. Toukijin can rival it, but Tetsusaiga has the power to kill 100 youkai with one swipe." Her jaw dropped, but he continued as if he didn't saw it. "Inuyasha inherited the sword from our father, a decision which I still question. I should have gotten it."  
  
She frowned as she looked at him. "Didn't you get something then?"  
  
A soft chuckle. "Oh I did." He pointed at Tenseiga which hang at his side. "I got Tenseiga. This sword can heal 100 beings, but of what use is such a sword to me?" A snort. "I got the most useless sword there is, a sword that can't kill."  
  
"I don't think it's useless. It's a healing sword, it has its purpose. I would be glad if I got something like that..." She reached out to touch the sword, but he caught her hand and glared at her.  
  
"Keep your hands with you."  
  
She swallowed and gave him a weak smile, trying to hide she was feeling nervous, again. He however narrowed his eyes at her, and she stiffened as he began speaking. "Your sister, Kikyou... there is something else. You are still jealous of her... there is something about her you envy..."  
  
She looked up at him with wide eyes. This guy apparently loved to change subjects every minute. "W-what..."  
  
He looked her directly into her eyes and she gasped at the intensity of his gaze. "Don't play games with me, elf. You are so easily to read... Always smiling, always cheery... I asked you before, why do you always smile?"  
  
"And I answered you, didn't I?"  
  
"Yes, but I am not satisfied. Your smiles... they are not always true..."  
  
Kagome held in her breath. He noticed? "H-how do mean, not true...?"  
  
He cocked his head as he looked at her. "One second, when someone is near, you smile. When that person is gone, and you are alone, you look... sad."  
  
"And so what if I look sad? What does it matter?"  
  
"You should either look sad, or smile. Stop faking, it irritates me."  
  
She glared at him. "Oh, so just because it doesn't fit you I should change my behaviour? I smile if I want to, I don't want anyone to worry about such a useless person as I am, got it?!"  
  
"You think you are useless?"  
  
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Kikyou, Sango, Miroku, all the others, they have something to do. Fight, work, I don't know. All I have to do is stay here and feel bored. Every day is the same. I want to do something!"  
  
"So you want to become a soldier?"  
  
"No! I would never be able to hurt or kill someone!"  
  
"Exactly. And that's why you heal, don't you? I saw it with my own eyes, you have incredibly healing powers. Does that mean, if you would not be here, the people here would have someone else to look at their wounds and diseases?"  
  
"N-not really. Kaede knows some medicine, but she's old herself. And Kikyou is mostly fighting..."  
  
"So you are useless. It's not important if you are gone, it doesn't matter people would die then."  
  
"No, it does matter! I can't leave them!" she yelled at him.  
  
"So why are you useless then?" he shot back. "Not that I would particularly care if any elf or human would die, but that is what would happen then, wouldn't it?"  
  
She thought about it, and decided he was right. She wasn't that useless. She still had some purpose... She averted her gaze and looked down at her feet, as she was getting uncomfortable with the way he looked at her. It was then that she realised he still held her hand. Blushing like mad, she coughed once.  
  
The only response she got was him raising his eyebrow. "Uhm... my hand?" her voice was barely a whisper, but he heard it and his eyes widened as he realised it too. He quickly released her hand, looking disgusted, but surprisingly, she was not offended. After talking to him, she just had this feeling, he was not that bad. He was rude, arrogant, cold, but he managed to cheer her up. She didn't felt that useless anymore, and thankful for that, she flashed him a smile. Not one of those sad ones, but a true, happy smile.  
  
Something passed his eyes then, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint what emotion it was. Soon, he was his cold self again as he shot her another glare and spoke again. "I would appreciate it if you could lift that spell. I wish to retreat to my rooms."  
  
She nodded once, lifted the spell and watched how he turned and walked away, so silent you couldn't hear him. 'Thank you for making me feel better Sesshoumaru. I know you probably didn't even realise what you did, but I'm grateful none the less. Now I will try to help you. I will find out why you are so cold. You say I fake, but what are you doing then?'

Naraku's castle, Northern Lands  
  
Kagura silently wondered if fate was playing a sick joke with her. Not only was she forged to stay within the presence of her father for a few hours, and soon a few days, but that stupid wolf was here too. She was sitting next to her father, together with her younger sister Kanna. Across them sat Kouga with two of his friends.  
  
And all that just because those stupid elves captured Lord Sesshoumaru.  
  
Now they had to negotiate with them, and so they were leaving tomorrow. Kouga and Inuyasha would be there too, so she inwardly groaned. Kagura was not a woman who was fond of two adults behaving like children.  
  
But still, she would rather watch those two fighting then be around Naraku.  
  
He still hadn't informed her about his plan with their prisoners, but she had a feeling it was nothing good. As she asked him if she should kill them and give them back dead, he answered; "Not exactly, there is more to it."  
  
But that still didn't bring her any further. She was still just as clueless, and that's why she was thinking about it for two hours now, not paying any attention to the conversation that was going.  
  
So that was why she almost fell over of surprise as her father suddenly addressed her. The wolf began laughing, and she just glared at him, secretly fiddling with her fan. Oh how he was pissing her off. Always that cocky smile, never self-conscious...  
  
She tried to put her best smile on her face as she looked at her father, but he probably knew what she thought of him anyway, seeing how his eyes lit up with amusement. Great, that meant she would be punished later.  
  
"Kagura, if you would be so kind to bring Lord Kouga to his rooms so he can get some sleep before we leave tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes father"  
  
As she showed Kouga to his room, she couldn't help but slam the door shut as loud as she could. 

__

_Dear diary,  
  
A lot of things happened since I wrote two months ago. Kikyou has made a prisoner, Lord Sesshoumaru.  
  
I can tell you, he's a jerk. And an ass. And probably a mass murderer. But oddly enough, I still like him, somehow. Because somewhere, deep down, I can feel he is a good person. There is just something that changed him, something must've happened in his past, I refuse to believe he has always been this way.  
  
He noticed how depressed I am sometimes, and he even made it clear to me that I'm not that useless. He didn't do it intentionally, I'm sure of that, in fact, if he would ever know, he would probably go on a rampage, but that doesn't matter to me now. All that matters is that finally somebody noticed it. When I talk to him, no matter how rude he is, I somehow feel comfortable. I don't know why, every other person would be offended, scared, or something like that. True, I feel nervous sometimes, I mean, you can hardly get a decent conversation with him without getting threatened to get killed at least once, but when I think of it, I never really panicked. I'm so confused, I just don't know what to think of him anymore.  
  
But he still remains a prisoner, and a youkai; an enemy. He will have to leave sometime. I'm not sure if I think this is something positive or negative. I don't know what to think. On the one hand, I think it would be better if he would go back, if we would give him his freedom back, it just doesn't feels right to capture anyone, and especially not him. He has something about him, something mysterious, maybe it's his aura, or how he looks, but I just have the feeling it is wrong to take his freedom.  
  
On the other hand, I don't want him to go. I want to help him, I want to talk to him, I want so many things. I would want to be his friend. Maybe that's silly, but it's just how I feel. And besides, he needs friends, isn't it?  
  
But somehow, I have the feeling I have something else to worry about too. Tomorrow, Kikyou and Sango left, together with some troops. For the first time in years, I didn't watch them leave with something like 'so what am I supposed to do now?' but with something like, 'they do what they have to do, and I stay here, help people and do what I have to do'.  
  
But that's not really what I should worry about, I think. They will be alright, at least, I hope so. I just have this foreboding feeling, like something will happen in the future, like there will be a big change in my life.  
  
I always had those feelings, and if something would truly happen, it could be tomorrow, but also in a couple of years, it is difficult to tell. But I think it has something to do with the Jewel. When I touched it this morning, an image flashed trough my mind, an image of a man with dark hair, and crimson eyes.  
  
I don't know who this is, I mean, I hardly know anyone, just the people that live here. I always stay here, I never went far from home, and when the castle is attacked, I'm too busy with healing soldiers. Maybe that's why I never really saw Sesshoumaru before, even though he fought here.  
  
So I don't know who this man is, and I didn't ask anyone, afraid it would mean nothing, but still, this man scares me. After I saw the image, I dropped the Jewel and stood there, frozen to the spot. That look in his eyes... I know one thing, he is evil. I can feel it.  
  
I can only hope it means nothing, and that I will never see this person for real...  
  
Kagome_

  
  
CometsChaos: I don't know if I already told you, but yes, I will review, I promise, and I know I am slow, but hey, it's still one week school, and then, holiday! And that means lots of time to read your story and review. Actually, I already read something, I think up till chapter three or four, and I liked it!  
  
Mary773: I will see it as a compliment then! Wow!  
  
Lady Lydia: I can't promise anything... But no matter how sad it looks, just read further, don't get angry and you'll see I have a solution for it! (okay, if you don't get this, you will understand it once I wrote what I'm thinking about now. I'm saying nothing though, it has to be a secret!) And they will find out it was Naraku who killed Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father, don't worry.  
  
Silver-Tamashi: How is your project going?  
  
Thanks everyone for reviewing! You know, I have this story on a few different sites, and all in all, I've got 131 reviews now!!! Yeah, I'm happy! Plus, I made all the tests, and so far, I got only high notes, and big surprise, even for physics! I got an 8.5! I'm sooooooooo happy! And one week school, than it's holiday! : ) 


	9. Chapter Nine: Memories

Chapter Nine: Memories  
  
Elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
There was a lot of activity going on down on the courtyard. Sesshoumaru stood on the balcony, alone, as Kagome left before. He watched how her sister and the soldiers steadily moved further away from the castle, and how the crowd down on the courtyard thinned as everyone settled back to do their duties.  
  
So now they were going to negotiate about him. Really, he couldn't believe it had come this far. He sighed mentally, silently hoping that his brother wouldn't humiliate himself too much. Not that he would care if he did, but he couldn't use any stupidity from him now. Sesshoumaru could care less if the prisoners they had were released, after all, they were more trouble than they were worth. He would be glad if he was disposed of them, whether he killed them himself or if the elves got them back, it didn't matter. In fact, if those prisoners returned, he would maybe get a bit of a challenge in the next battle with them.  
  
He never doubted his ability to win from them.  
  
So that's why he would wait until these negotiations were over and the prisoners returned. And then, he would escape, somehow. He thought of the time spend here as some free time off, no duty of ruling his lands, lots of time to do whatever he wanted. Some free time, the one thing he longed for when he was young. The only thing that ruined it now was his worry if his brother would manage to handle his lands. Maybe it was better to escape now.  
  
But he felt like there was something else why he stayed here. Or someone.  
  
He groaned as an image of a person flashed before his eyes. Dark hair, brown eyes, and a blinding smile.  
  
Kagome.  
  
He didn't know what he should think off her. He never thought she could smile honest for once, but he was proven wrong yesterday. That smile she gave him. He could only pray she didn't notice how that smile affected him. He was confused about it himself, but it was as if he suddenly felt warm inside, and comfortable, maybe even... happy? It was astounding how one creature could make him feel that way.  
  
And how she talked with him. How had she known he was jealous of Inuyasha? Was it that obvious? Or had she seen something again, with that weird ability of her. That power of her... he still hadn't seen everything of it. He still wanted to find out more. He was curious, although he didn't knew why.  
  
She was confusing. There was no other word for it. Always kind, always caring. Often sad, melodramatic, but sometimes truly happy, like yesterday, just for a second. She always managed to piss him off, but, she also managed to survive, she still lived, and not only because he gave his word he would do nothing while he was a prisoner. As he thought about it, if he would've met her somewhere else, or in a different situation, he highly doubted if he could kill her then. It was something scary, he thought. He never hesitated to kill anyone, but as he thought of someone killing a person like Kagome, he would get angry. He didn't know why, after all, he didn't particularly care about the girl, didn't he? It was just, she was such a good person, even he had to admit it. So pure. It would be a waste to kill someone like that.  
  
But then again, life wasn't fair. It were often the good persons that had to go, and the evil ones that were allowed to stay. Sometimes, fate would play sick games with everyone, and you could do nothing about it. In a way, him being a prisoner was a sick joke too. Or maybe it was just destined to be, that he would meet Kagome, that maybe something was about to happen, that it meant something.  
  
He shivered as he turned and walked into his room. Maybe he was imagining things. Maybe being around Kagome with her visions all the time had made him a bit too suspicious about the future. Maybe he should just forget about her for a minute.  
  
If he could manage to do so...  
  
Kagome sighed as she walked trough the halls of the castle. She had had breakfast with her mother, who had hurried off saying she had something to discuss with others regarding their lands. Sesshoumaru was nowhere to be seen, so she set out in the castle, trying to find someone to talk to and get trough the day.  
  
She had been talking to Kaede, hanging around with her, but the old woman had been busy working in the garden and was only half listening. And eventually, Kagome began to get bored and excused herself.  
  
Now she was looking around for anyone who was not busy, but everyone she addressed shot her apologetic looks as if too say 'sorry, busy' or they hurried away after telling her so. She sighed, and just thought of going to her room, as she saw a flash of black and purple running of the stairs.  
  
"Miroku!" she exclaimed happily, but her face fell as one of her best friends send her the oh so famous 'I'm busy' look.  
  
"I'm sorry Kagome, but your mother called me!" He grinned as his face got a slightly dreamy expression. "Of course, if it is something really important, I am always willing to help a beautiful lady such as yourself."  
  
"No thank you pervert. Go on, I'm sure my mother is waiting for you," Kagome laughed at him as he looked hurt at the pervert remark, but she looked serious again as he walked away and she turned, intending on going to her room.  
  
She was walking slowly, looking at her feet, and as she rounded the corner, she never saw the person walking towards her. She gasped as she bumped into someone and, as she lost her balance and began falling backwards, she shrieked, flinging wildly with her arms around her. She caught something white and red moving out of the corner of her eye, and as something braced her and steadied her, she realised it had to be an arm.  
  
As soon as she saw silver hair, she realised whose arm it was.  
  
She shrieked again as she jumped away from that very person's hold, blushing madly. The person who was responsible for her blushing looked annoyed at her as he slightly flinched at the sound of her voice.  
  
"Tell me, girl, do you elves always yell that loud?"  
  
She silently groaned. Why did she always have to embarrass herself in front of him? Why was she always so clumsy?  
  
"Gomen ne, Sesshoumaru. I didn't mean to..." He raised a brow as she suddenly went from apologizing and being embarrassed to being happy and smiling at him. "Uhmm, Sesshoumaru, if I may ask, what were you doing?"  
  
"This Sesshoumaru doesn't know why that should be your business."  
  
She huffed at him. "Didn't I just ask you yesterday to stop saying 'this Sesshoumaru'? And I was just looking for some company, I mean, everyone is gone, or busy, so I'm bored."  
  
A silence fell, and she already believed she could stand there for ages and still he wouldn't answer, as suddenly, he began speaking. "I was on my way to the library."  
  
Her eyes lit up, one of her favourite places. Why hadn't she thought of that before? No matter how often she had read the books there, she still wasn't bored. "Can I come with you?" she asked, smiling at him.  
  
Another silence fell as he looked at her intently, before turning and walking away. Okay, she was positively furious now. Did this guy have any manners at all, not answering her and just walking away like that? She was still glaring daggers at his back, as he suddenly stopped and turned, looking at her as if he was waiting for her to follow him.  
  
She frowned, did this mean yes? Oh well, why was she even bothering, this was after all HER home, and HER library. Her head tilted back, nose up in the air, she walked past him and entered the library.  
  
She didn't see the amused smirk he had on his face.  
  
Two days later  
  
Castle to the north of the Southern Lands  
  
Kikyou stood on the walls of the castle, her face void of any expression, the wind blowing her clothes and hair to the right as the sun slowly set. She had stood there for two hours now, watching without emotion how firstly, Lord Naraku and Lord Kouga arrived.  
  
Kouga had been too busy fighting and bickering with one of Naraku's daughters, but Naraku had smiled up at her, an evil glint in his eyes.  
  
She just ignored him.  
  
Later, Lord Sesshoumaru's younger brother arrived. All in all, his arrival had been a mess. The soldiers that were with him, obviously didn't obey him as well as they obeyed his brother. That toad thing Lord Sesshoumaru always had with him, managed to piss him off even more, and so she witnessed how he went chasing after the thing like a child, with murder in his eyes.  
  
This time, she only sighed.  
  
She had summoned them here, on a neutral place, where they would exchange the list of their prisoners, and negotiate about an eventual truce. And really, they could use such a thing. She needed a break, as did her soldiers.  
  
She still didn't move as she sensed a powerful and dark aura behind her. "What do you want Naraku?" she asked coldly.  
  
A soft chuckle. "Oh dear Kikyou, as alert as always, aren't you?" She didn't answer. "So, tell me, what is the purpose of all this. Why did you have to call me away from my home and duties?"  
  
"Don't nag Naraku. You know fully well why you are here."  
  
"Maybe I do. By the way, an excellent idea of yours... Oh well, why don't you tell me how your mother is doing?"  
  
"That is none of your business."  
  
"Then perhaps your father. Oh I forgot, you have none... how stupid of me..."  
  
This time, she reacted. The bow she carried was suddenly in her hands, an arrow pointed at his heart. "Don't push it too far Naraku," she said, eyes aflame.  
  
Inuyasha had been pacing in his room. It was not going well. The soldiers didn't really listen to him, Myouga was of no use, constantly trying to run away. And Jaken... argggg, that stupid toad! All the way he had been mumbling about 'how his master would do this better' or 'how disappointed his master would be if he saw his failure of a brother'.  
  
That was why that same toad was currently lying unconscious in a corner of his room.  
  
Finally deciding he would go insane if he didn't do something to bring his thoughts somewhere else, he left his room and began walking around, exploring the castle. It was not that big, it merely served as a fortress to defend the Southern Lands, it was not really meant to live in it.  
  
After awhile, he came across a door, and opening it, he walked out onto the courtyard. He glanced around for awhile, until he saw two figures standing on the walls.  
  
The first one, he recognised immediately. There was no mistaking possible, that dark hair, foul stench, that could only be Naraku.  
  
Standing next to him, her back towards him was a woman with black hair. First, he didn't recognise her, but then he smelled it was Kikyou. As he had nothing important to do, he concentrated on the sound of their voices, trying to hear their conversation.  
  
He listened silently, pitying Kikyou, even if she was an elf. After all, who would want to talk to Naraku anyway? It was horrible, he hated the bastard and he would do anything to avoid him. The more he heard of their conversation, the angrier he became. Until one sentence made him see blood red.  
  
"Then perhaps your father. Oh I forgot, you have none... how stupid of me..."  
  
Before he knew it, he was up in the air, lunging at Naraku and placing himself between Naraku and Kikyou. He didn't even notice that the elf already drew her bow, as he had his back towards her, and he didn't see her surprised expression, but what he did see was Naraku's evil smile.  
  
"Kukuku, how interesting... young Inuyasha-sama, defending an elf... tell me boy, did you forget it was them who killed your father? Maybe even this elf personally?"  
  
He blinked once, before realising Naraku was right. Why did he defend her anyway? They killed his father! But then he thought back of Naraku's words, and he growled. No matter what, it was a disrespectful thing to do, asking the elf about her father, reminding her of how you killed him. She had never done that to him. In fact, she always denied that the elves killed his father. But no, she never reminded him of his father's death in such a horrible way.  
  
"I don't care, Naraku!" he spat. "It is not fair, talking to her in such a manner. You know fully well her father is dead, you killed him yourself!"  
  
"Oh yes, yes, now I remember... However, young Inuyasha, don't forget, this is a neutral zone for now. So..." Naraku turned his back on Inuyasha as he walked away. He paused shortly, looking over his shoulder. "... no attacking, and especially not your allies." That said, he was gone.  
  
Inuyasha just glared daggers at him, growling softly. 'The bastard...' He jumped as he heard a soft cough behind him.  
  
Turning, he squirmed under Kikyou's inquiring gaze. She looked him all over, before she began speaking. "That was not necessary, puppy."  
  
He totally forgot how he pitied her before as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Puppy...? Bitch, stop insulting me!"  
  
An amused smirk. "I am not insulting you. I speak the truth, you are nothing but a puppy."  
  
"I am not, damn it!"  
  
"You are," she stated. "You bicker like a little child."  
  
He shut his mouth, glaring at her. Why was everyone against him? She slung her bow over her shoulder and started walking away. "Negotiations will be tomorrow," she reminded him. "For helping me, I wish you good luck..." he blinked at her. "... puppy..." only to growl once more.  
  
Elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
A lone, silver haired figure came up the staircase to his room. He paused shortly as he reached the top of the stairs, looking at the right door and sniffing at the air. Then he walked towards the left door, opened it and entered the room closing the door behind him.  
  
Sesshoumaru moved towards his bed, putting his swords on the table and removing his armour and haori in the process. He then plumped down on the bed and lay back, closing his eyes.  
  
Today had been like all other days, except maybe that he had spent the last two days with Kagome. It started as she bumped into him. Normally, he would have let someone fall, but as if on reflex, his arm shot out and he caught her. Then she asked him if she could come with him, and eventually, he agreed.  
  
They spend the whole afternoon together, reading and enjoying the silence, occasionally talking as Kagome asked him something. Sesshoumaru enjoyed it being alone and having time to think in silence, and he never thought that would be possible with Kagome around. But she surprised him again by being all serious.  
  
The next day, whether it was coincidence or not, they were both in the library, again. Sesshoumaru sitting on the windowsill, Kagome by a table. And today, it was the same again. But still, he didn't mind.  
  
He just trained with his swords, even if you couldn't see it on him as he wasn't tired or sweating. One advantage of being a youkai.  
  
Another advantage were his keen nose and ears, and as he noticed Kagome was in her room, sleeping, he closed his eyes and dozed off too.  
  
Hours later, he woke up as he heard a strange sound. He lay down for awhile, half asleep but his senses alert, and he caught it again.  
  
Crying. Someone was crying.  
  
Kagome.  
  
He remained laying still, hoping it would fade away and stop, but it never did. As he suddenly heard a loud crash, he sat right up, now fully alert.  
  
Something wasn't right.  
  
He was feeling two things now. Despite her being an elf, he began to worry about the girl, what was the matter? On the other hand, he was annoyed that she woke him up for something as pitiful as crying. Why oh why did those elves have to be so emotional?  
  
As after a few minutes the crying still didn't stop, he growled, flung back the blankets and walked towards the door with long strides. That stupid girl would pay for this.  
  
He opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside. A half moon was shining, and it was cold, but he was unaffected by it. His eyes travelled to the door before him, the door to her room. A tiny little voice in his mind asked him if he shouldn't knock first, as he knew she valued privacy. But a more stubborn voice demanded to just barge in and tell her how he thought about it.  
  
The last voice triumphed.  
  
He flung open the door, blinked a couple of times to let his eyes adjust to the darkness in the room where only little moonlight shone trough the window. Then, his eyes darted to her bed, but she was not in it. He frowned, as he suddenly saw a soft blue light to his right.  
  
And there she was, curled up in the corner of her room like a frightened animal. That tiny little voice in the back of his head became immediately stronger, demanding him to go towards her, to see what was wrong. However, his common sense decided to show itself.  
  
Kagome was a mess. Her hair was all messed up, as was her clothing. The blankets of her bed were thrown aside roughly, and a chair had fallen down. If you didn't knew better, you would think there was a fight here.  
  
She was shivering uncontrollably, and as he walked somewhat closer, the blue light around her body intensified, as if to warn him, and he stopped, not wanting to get purified by accident.  
  
She tilted her head towards him, and his breath caught as he saw her face. It was scary, her eyes turned in a weird way, all fogged over, her face in an afraid expression, and her mouth opened a bit, as if she was screaming in horror, but no sound came forth.  
  
Was she having a vision again? Was that it? But then, what was she seeing?  
  
What the hell was she seeing to get this upset?  
  
Darkness. Darkness everywhere.  
  
That black darkness, in which you could see absolutely nothing. The darkness she always feared, pitch-dark, no light there.  
  
Then, suddenly, there was light. But only a little. She was standing in a room, in the corner, and moonlight was falling trough a window, illuminating the figure of a silver haired person.  
  
She had seen this before. This room, this man. Sesshoumaru's father. Only, there was something different this time.  
  
He was alive.  
  
Minutes passed as she could do nothing but stand there, watch and wait for the inevitable. She couldn't move, she could do nothing.  
  
Then, a dark shadow appeared, out of nowhere. Someone was standing next to the bed, but she couldn't see who it was. She stiffened as it spoke, the cold voice sending shivers down her spine.  
  
"And so it ends here..."  
  
The next moment, it raised its arm and a knife glittered in the moonlight.  
  
This time, she could move. She turned towards the door, opened it and ran, and ran and ran... The hall seemed to be endless, and she wondered when she would be on the end of it.  
  
Then, suddenly, the image disappeared. She was standing on a meadow, with something like a castle in the distance. Everywhere around her were people, but she couldn't recognise anyone, as she didn't see them clearly. They had no faces and their bodies were blurred.  
  
Only one person was clear enough for her too see. It was a woman, a youkai, and she was simply beautiful. Long, silver hair, a crescent moon on her forehead, one single magenta stripe on each of her cheeks, amber eyes. She was tall and slender, and very graceful.  
  
She was just thinking about how this woman reminded her of someone, as she heard a sound in the distance, and she jerked her head to the right, looking for the cause of it.  
  
It was as if time stand still. Nobody moved anymore, and all she could see was this beautiful woman, and the arrow that was heading towards her, aimed straight at her heart.  
  
She opened her mouth in horror and screamed, screamed about the unfairness of it, why did such a beautiful creature have to die? Her body began glowing blue as her powers begged her to be released, to stop this, but she could do nothing. She shut her eyes and cried, and cried...  
  
Then, suddenly, she sensed an aura. A very powerful aura, which she recognised from somewhere. She couldn't quit pin point from where she knew it, but as she opened her eyes, she saw a white figure between all those blurred people.  
  
It reached towards her, and the blue light intensified, as to warn that person to stay away, but it approached anyway, and somehow, she felt like, this person meant no harm. She would be safe, if she could only reach it. She reached her hand towards that person, and stretched it and stretched it...  
  
If only she could reach it...  
  
Sesshoumaru kept watching how the girl shut her eyes and continued crying as if she would never stop, as if it was the only thing she could do.  
  
That tiny voice in his head became stronger and stronger, and no matter how he was fighting it, he couldn't resist it, so he approached her.  
  
The girl opened her eyes, frowned a bit, but after awhile, the blue light died down, and she stretched her arm, as if to reach for him. Encouraged by that, he walked up to her and kneeled before her, catching her by her shoulders and shaking her back and forth, trying to wake her up.  
  
At first, nothing happened. She struggled a bit, as if she was afraid, her eyes still unseeing, but wide open. Then, she suddenly stiffened, and he shook her with a bit more force.  
  
This time, it worked.  
  
She gasped, as suddenly, her eyes turned normally again and she blinked up at him, tears in her eyes. Then, before he could do anything, she suddenly lunged at him, throwing her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest, sobbing.  
  
All kinds of alarm bells were going off inside his head, this was disrespect, invading his personal space, hurting his pride, this was...  
  
... just a hug. Simply a hug, an attempt to find comfort, like he once did when he was little. But he was never hugged since that time. Never, until now.  
  
Despite his pride, and his distaste, he somehow hugged her back, before picking her up in his arms and setting her down on her bed. He tried to pry her off him, but she wouldn't remove her arms, so with a sigh, he sat back against the head side of the bed, taking the crying girl on his lap.  
  
He hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. She blinked at him, before averting her gaze again. He sighed; this girl was going to be his end. "Kagome, tell me what happened," he demanded.  
  
The sound of her crying died down, and she only sniffled a bit as she answered him. "A vision..."  
  
He nodded at her. "Then what did you see...?"  
  
A sob. "Your... your father..." She must have felt how he stiffened, as she suddenly catched his hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry..."  
  
"What did you see?" he asked again, ignoring her actions. "Speak girl"  
  
"A figure... there was a dark figure in the room... he spoke... and then a knife..."  
  
He frowned. "It was a man?"  
  
Silence. "I think so. That voice..."  
  
"You saw no face?"  
  
"No..." she was unconsciously playing with his fingers. "I fled, I ran away... and then I saw this woman..." she frowned and then smiled a bit. "... she was so pretty. And then, someone shot an arrow trough her heart. And I cried, I was angry, why did she have to die? She was so pretty... she reminded me of you..."  
  
He stiffened again as he listen to her. "What did she look like?" he shook the girl in his lap, maybe a bit too rough. "Tell me!"  
  
"S-silver hair, the same moon as you have, and one magenta stripe on each of her cheeks... and her eyes..." Kagome looked up at him with wide eyes. "... YOUR eyes..."  
  
He didn't listen anymore, as he looked before him with cold eyes. "... mother..."  
  
Flashback  
  
A small boy with silver hair and youkai markings was sitting in a dungeon, together with his mother, locked up behind doors.  
  
The sound of footsteps, and the door opened. A man stood in the doorway, a human, looking at them with disgust. "Your mate..." he addressed the woman. "...has listened to our demands. You will be released."  
  
Relief spread across the woman's face as she hugged her son close. The boy looked with wide eyes at her. "Mommy, are we going home?"  
  
Before she could answer the human interrupt. "Yes, yes, you'll go home with your mother and live happily ever after. Now come, I don't have time for this."  
  
The woman shot him a glare, before taking the boy by her hand and following the human, trough all kinds of corridors, out of the dungeons, out of the castle, out on the courtyard and onto a meadow outside the castle.  
  
The boy's face lit up with joy as he saw his father standing there with some of his generals, waiting for his mate and son to cross the distance and walk over to them. He pulled on his mother's hand, she smiled down at him, and nodded as they began walking away.  
  
They came steadily closer, and closer, only a few metres, just a few...  
  
Then he heard a whistling sound, he frowned and wanted to turn his head, as he heard his mother gasp. As he looked up at her, his eyes widened in horror. An arrow was pierced trough her chest, and she fell to the ground.  
  
He kneeled next to her, screaming "Mother, mother!" But he was pushed away as his father and his generals ran to her side, checking her over, but it was too late.  
  
She smiled at him once more, before she died.  
  
End Flashback  
  
He looked down as he felt how Kagome squeezed his hand again. She still looked at him with wide eyes. "S-she was y-your mother?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
A silence fell. "Sesshoumaru...?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it."  
  
She suddenly jerked her hand away from his and turned, facing him and stabbing a finger in his chest, her eyes on fire. "You have to talk about it!" she bit out. "I bet you never did! I bet you just cropped it up inside, and you never talked about it. And besides, I already saw half of it!"  
  
He growled at her. "You saw only a little, it was nothing."  
  
"Than tell me what happened further. Please, Sesshoumaru... it would do you good..."  
  
Silence.  
  
Kagome almost jumped as he spoke again. Not with a rude and demanding voice, but with a soft one. "We were playing in the garden, Inuyasha and I. Our mother was watching us. Then we were attacked, and our father came too late to do anything. Or well, he did manage to free Inuyasha, but he failed to free us. We were taken to the castle of a person called Onigumo, a human who disobeyed my father several times before. Now he had captured my father's mate and his oldest son, me. I don't remember anymore what he demanded, I tried to forget it. We were prisoners for weeks, kept in a dungeon from the castle."  
  
"So you were a prisoner before..." No answer. "But you were released...?"  
  
"We were. That filth Onigumo even told me so. I never believe people that easily. Most of the time, they are lying to you. He lied too. He told us we would be free, but just before we reached my father, he killed my mother."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"My father stationed his troops around the castle. He was a man who wouldn't go out of his way to get his revenge. He intended to attack Onigumo once he got us back. Either, Onigumo found out, or he just realised his life was over. No one escapes the Lord of the Western Lands once he is angry. So he did one last thing to defy my father, he killed his mate."  
  
"And what happened to Onigumo?" He gave her a cold look. "Never mind, I don't even want to know. Is that why you don't really like your father?"  
  
The narrowing of his eyes. "Who says I don't like him?"  
  
"When you speak of him, I sense respect, but also anger. Why?"  
  
"He failed to free us, my mother and I were kidnapped, he risked our lives later when he wanted to attack Onigumo. If it wasn't for him, maybe my mother would've been alive."  
  
"You don't know that." She reached towards his face, tracing the stripes on his cheeks with her finger and she looked him directly into his eyes. "Remember one thing Sesshoumaru; fate is inevitable. You cannot change it."  
  
"I don't believe that"  
  
A small smile. "But I believe it. And I know it's true. Your mother would've died, no matter how, it would've happened sooner or later. It's cruel that it had to be this way, but there is no way to change what happened in the past. And it's not fair to blame anyone for it. Not your father, no matter how mistaken he was, not your brother, because he wasn't captured, because he suffered just as much as you did. I lost a parent too, and I blamed everyone for it, and myself, but it didn't bring me any further. You can do nothing but except it Sesshoumaru." She looked a bit painful as she talked about her father's death, but then she smiled at him again. "Arigato, Sesshoumaru..."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For telling me. Now I understand you so much better."  
  
He looked quizzically at her, before gently pushing her aside. She was right, it did him good, talking about it, but it was time to end this rubbish. This Sesshoumaru was not someone to be so weak in the presence of a mere girl.  
  
He attempted to stand, as suddenly, out of nowhere, she caught his hand and stopped him. Looking back at her, one single brow raised, she blushed but looked with pleading eyes at him.  
  
"Please Sesshoumaru, could you stay?"  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"Please? I'm afraid it will happen again, I don't want to be alone..."  
  
He sighed, before deciding the damage was already done. Without thinking twice, he rested his back against the bed again. Kagome clutched his arm and crawled close to his sitting form, sighing contently. He leaned back and closed his eyes, oddly enough, he felt totally at ease.  
  
Just before she fell asleep, he heard her whispering something. "If only you would smile once..."  
  
Castle to the north of the Southern Lands  
  
In his room, a certain dark haired man was watching how two persons kneeled before him.  
  
To the right was Hiten, and to the left his brother Manten. The fact that they were brothers wasn't that easy to see, as they were the opposite of each other. The one to the right as pretty as his brother to the left was ugly. Both were generals of him, and he watched them with interest before thinking of that Kikyou woman again. Now that she decided they would only negotiate tomorrow, he couldn't help for being a bit bored. So, his evil mind had thought of something else to busy himself.  
  
He looked to his right were his youngest daughter, Kanna, stood with her mirror. Hiten and Manten followed his gaze to the mirror that showed a kitsune family, father, mother and son, eating in peace.  
  
"What do you want with them, my Lord?" Hiten asked.  
  
He chuckled a bit. "This kitsune has been rather troublesome. He simply refuses to listen to my orders... kukuku, of course, I cannot allow such behaviour..." his generals shivered at the look on his face.  
  
"... kill them."  
  
In their castle, said family was still dining, unaware of the fact that two Thunder Brothers were on their way to disturb this peace.  
  
The father and mother were talking softly, while the young child was playing with his food. Minutes passed, until suddenly, the door banged open and a dead guard was tossed inside the room, followed by two youkai who looked frightening.  
  
The little kitsune kid wailed in fear, as his parents stood protectively before him, and the fight began. Hiten attacked the father, dodging his kitsune fire and delivering him a deadly blow. The mother screamed in fright and anger, but she was distracted and instantly killed by the other brother.  
  
The kid towered in fear as suddenly, those horrible youkai turned to look at him, an evil glint in their eyes. Tears fell from his eyes, one minute, he was peacefully together with his mother and father, and now, they were dead.  
  
One of the two youkai spoke. "The kid too?"  
  
"You heard Lord Naraku. He said; everyone, now I would say that includes the child..."  
  
While they were talking, the kid waited no longer, but lunged for the door, running trough it, down the halls and out of the castle, into the woods.  
  
He wouldn't just stand there and wait for them to kill him.  
  
Manten wore a surprised look on his face, which would've been comical, had the situation not been so horrible. His brother scolded at him.  
  
"Idiot, now the brat escaped!"  
  
"B-but Lord Naraku wanted us to kill him!"  
  
"Yes, and we will be in trouble if we don't do so. And that is why we are going after him, now!"  
  
They ran out of the castle, and were just in time to see the little kid fleeing into the forest.  
  
"I don't know Hiten, he's heading south, towards the elves..."  
  
A snort. "And so what? He won't escape us. And besides, if he did turn up by the elves, they would kill him. But, just to be sure, we will follow him. And then, he will be dead. Oh no, he won't escape us."  
  
Mary773: You think so? Well I certainly wouldn't mind...  
  
Amy: Sorry if my use of words is a bit irritating, my only excuse is that my vocabulary isn't that perfect... Glad you like the story   
  
ElvenYoukai: You have the same problem as I always have, wanting to say something and then forgetting it seconds later... Doesn't matter anyway, thanks for your congratulations!  
  
Migele: wow, I'm getting better?!  
  
I: Glad you still love it! -  
  
Loverofangelus73069: I'll mail you, and thanks for reviewing!  
  
CometsChaos & Archangel Rhapsody: Thank you! 


	10. Chapter Ten: Negotiations and a little k...

**Chapter Ten: Negotiations and a little kitsune  
**  
Elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
Night can be so beautiful. Everything is silent and dark, the moon shines with all its beauty, everyone is resting. But day is just as beautiful. The sun appears, everything and everyone awakes as bright sunlight travels down to the world, taking no heed in obstacles, always finding its way into the smallest places, nothing can hide for it.  
  
Not even a certain peaceful sleeping couple up in a certain tower.  
  
The sun came up, and its light came down, trough the air and finally falling trough the window and on the closed eyes of a certain taiyoukai.  
  
Sesshoumaru stirred a bit, before slowly opening his eyes, blinking against the bright sunlight. Muttering a soft curse, he growled as he noticed how stiff he was. Why was this bed so hard? Then he noticed he was half sitting, half lying and probably had been like this all night.  
  
The next thing he noticed was something warm propped up against him, something, or someone... He blinked once, before looking down. As he saw dark raven hair, it clicked inside his head. Kagome...  
  
Unbeknownst to him, his eyes softened a bit as he looked down at her. While they were sleeping she somehow snuggled even closer to him, her arms around his waist and her head buried in his chest. Somehow, his arm had found its way around her waist, securing her against his side. He raised a brow as he noticed this, but didn't remove his arm.  
  
Kagome... As if to tease him, she had made him even more confused about her. He now knew he really didn't hate her, maybe he even respected her. Kami knows she was clumsy, sentimental, noisy, irritating, disobeying, stubborn, infuriating, and ...  
  
... and good, caring, compassionate, powerful, honest, kind... Always helping, no matter what. First trying to heal him, when he had that arrow in his shoulder. Then trying to comfort him as she thought he was homesick. And finally, last night, helping him to get over a very difficult period of his life; his mother's death.  
  
There was a fore and an after, and between that was his mother's death. She had been everything to him, she was always there, loving and caring much like Kagome, never leaving him or his brother, in contrast with his father, who was always busy.  
  
Before his mother's death, he was different from what he was now. He would laugh, never as much as other children would do, after all, he had always been serious, but he wasn't as cold as he was now. He was happy, and he would play like other children.  
  
After his mother's death, he became serious and cold. He was angry at his brother, for not being kidnapped, angry at his father, for risking his mother's life, and angry at the whole world for letting this happen. He didn't trust anyone anymore, throwing up walls around his heart, always doubting others words as in his experience, people mostly lied. He despised humans, because they were weak, and maybe, because Onigumo had been one.  
  
He didn't play anymore, but began paying more attention to his studies. Sometimes, he wished he could be just as carefree as Inuyasha, but his father expected a lot from him, as the oldest son. He had changed into the cold and heartless person he now was.  
  
And now, there was another person in his life that managed to make him feel happy. Kagome. She had that effect on him, as she smiled, or when she talked. She was just like that, a person destined to make others happy, so it seemed. 'But then again, she herself doesn't have that much happiness' he thought wryly. He knew her for what, 10 or 11 days? But he already knew there had been hard and tough times in her life, just as there were such times in his life. 'Fate plays with both of us,' he stated.  
  
In a way, the situation he was now in was a weird joke too. 'But...' he thought as Kagome shifted slightly beside him, her breathing indicating she woke up. '... I think I like this particular joke, somehow...'

She was sleeping peacefully, a good sleep like she didn't had in a long, long time. No dreams, no visions, nothing scary, just blissful sleep.  
  
Then why did the sun have to shine in her face like that?  
  
She however smiled a bit, deciding that was just her bad luck and simply burying her head somewhat further in her pillow, blocking the sunlight away.  
  
That was when she noticed her pillow had hardened somewhat since last night.  
  
She stiffened, her sleep fogged mind trying to remember why she felt like she was lying against someone, why her head went a bit up and down as that person breathed steadily, why she could hear a heartbeat apart from her own... Why there was an arm around her waist, and why she felt like somebody was staring at her...  
  
Slowly, she peeked open one eye, and what she saw, made her blush furiously. A bare, slightly toned, muscular chest and silver hair came in her view. In an instant, one name came into her mind.  
  
Sesshoumaru.  
  
She remained stiff, not moving an inch, until she felt him shook with silent laughter. Blushing even more, she hurriedly crawled away from him, shrieking as she almost fell of the bed. And for the second time since she met him, his arm shot out and he catched her. She wanted to thank him, as he went a bit further and pulled her close to him, again.  
  
She glared at him, but he only smirked at her. "Did I not tell you to stop yelling? Oh well, it's quite some fun, waking up like this... maybe an option for the future?"  
  
She became even redder and began stuttering. "Y-you..."  
  
"Yes Kagome? I can not understand you?"  
  
"You jerk!"  
  
"Now that's better"  
  
She glared at him, silently demanding him to let her go, but he answered her heated gaze with a cold one of his own, only this time, amusement was in his eyes. The staring contest lasted for several minutes, in which Kagome began blushing again, but she didn't back down. However, it wasn't easy to battle with Sesshoumaru by sending gazes, as he was a master in it. She found it rather difficult to keep looking into those golden eyes, if she wouldn't stop, she would just drown in them...  
  
Fortunately, or unfortunately, it depends on how you look at it, at that precise moment, someone decided to barge in.Miroku had just gotten a message to go and get Kagome, because she was needed. A servant had fallen ill, and she needed to look at him. He was walking up the stairs in a steady pace, lost in thought, thinking about his beautiful Sango, and how she would be doing at this moment. So, when he came at Kagome's bedroom door, he forgot to knock.  
  
And he would never forget what he saw once he opened that door.  
  
That handsome demon lord, together with Kagome, in one bed, close to each other, his arm around her waist, he half naked, she blushing, and they were looking deeply in each other eyes. What in truth was a staring contest became in Miroku's perverted mind a lover's couple, lost in each other eyes.  
  
Now he was used to a lot of things, but thinking about whatever they might have been doing, he became as red as Kagome was and began stuttering just like she did minutes before.  
  
"L-lady K-Kagome, lo- lovelymorningisn'tit?" he finished in a rush.  
  
Kagome's jaw had dropped somewhere to the ground, but the only thing Sesshoumaru did was smirking in amusement, before bending down and whispering in Kagome's ear, loud enough so that Miroku could hear it. "Shouldn't he be punished for interrupting our interesting... activity?"  
  
Kagome gulped, before jumping away from Sesshoumaru and glaring at both men. "OUT!"  
  
Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows at her. "What did you say?"  
  
"I said OUT! I've had enough! Kami, please, just go away!"  
  
He chuckled softly as he got up and exited the room. As he stood outside in the hall, Miroku was shoved out off the room before the door closed with a loud bang.  
  
Miroku turned towards the taiyoukai, a puzzled expression on his face. But his always perverted mind was working at high speed, so he came with only one question. "So, Lord Sesshoumaru, what exactly happened?"Sesshoumaru eyed the monk with irritation. "Nothing that would interest you"  
  
The monks face got a dreamy expression. "Oh I wouldn't think so... Despite you being a youkai, and she an elf, and both enemies, no offending there, but you two still remain a man and a woman..."  
  
"Obviously."  
  
"... and what they do when they are alone..."  
  
"You are going too far monk. Watch your mouth"  
  
"Ah, in denial. I see, I see... So, you love her?" A growl. "Oh yes, I forgot, you are enemies. Oh and you are a prisoner... But, I am an easy person, love goes above all! I think it's rather romantic anyway. Just remember, if you ever hurt her, you'll have to face me...Maybe I should tell her mother..."  
  
Sesshoumaru had grown VERY impatient listening to the monk's useless rambling, but before he could do anything, a door opened and a very angry Kagome appeared again, now fully dressed, and she grabbed the monk by his robes and pulled him in her room, slamming the door shut.  
  
Judging by her expression, he was glad he wasn't the monk for now. But, curious as he was, he listened in.Kagome glared at Miroku with murder in her eyes. "What. Where. You. Doing. Barging. In. like. That." she said trough gritted teeth.  
  
Miroku waved his hands in the air, looking innocent. "N-nothing, there's just a servant sick..."  
  
"A servant is sick?"  
  
"Yes, and, they need you..."  
  
"Fine I'll come"  
  
She turned around and noticed how Miroku visibly relaxed. Then she remembered hearing him saying something. She turned sharply and pointed a finger at him "Not a single word to my mother, OR Kikyou, you understand? Or I will curse you so badly, you would wish you were never born!"  
  
"Y-yes"  
  
"You swear?!"  
  
"Yes, I do, I do, just please, don't curse me!"  
  
She eyed him warily, before grabbing him by his robes again, "Fine. And now, show me this servant." He struggled against her hold and she looked irritated at him. "What else do you have to say?"  
  
A soft cough. "I just wanted to say, I know it's not my business, but be careful with him. I don't know what this had to mean..."  
  
"I just had a vision last night!" she snapped at him. "You know what happens when I have one of those. Sesshoumaru just helped me."  
  
Miroku looked doubtful at her. "By crawling into your bed...?"  
  
She closed her eyes, trying very hard not to blush. "I asked him to stay, I was afraid. You have NO idea what I saw last night..."  
  
"I have the feeling I don't even want to know it..."  
  
"... AND it involved his past, so it affected him as well."  
  
"Y-you saw something of his past?"  
  
"Are you deaf? And no, I won't tell you, it's confidential"  
  
"Fine, fine, I don't even want to know, so just calm down, ok? And I won't tell your mother, at least, not if you can handle this."  
  
"I can handle it."  
  
"Ok..." he said, sounding a bit doubtful still.  
  
Kagome just rolled her eyes. "Look, we have to go now, I have to see that servant, remember?"  
  
Then she opened the door and stormed out, ignoring a certain taiyoukai and going down the stairs, dragging Miroku with her.Kagome waited patiently for the guards to open the gates. The servant was doing well, but she needed to get some herbs for him, and so she decided to go into the forest and search for those herbs.  
  
Miroku had excused himself, either to go dreaming and speculating about what he saw this morning, or too afraid she would really curse him. Luckily, he hadn't said a thing to her mother yet, but she was sure her mother already noticed something, as she couldn't stop blushing during breakfast.  
  
The most annoying thing was that Sesshoumaru noticed, and he seemed to find it rather amusing. He kept staring at her with that amused smile, and everytime she saw that, she would blush again. Kami, what had she done to deserve this?  
  
But on the other hand, he was rather kind last night. Hugging her back, telling her about his past, and even staying with her. Of course, the first he had to do in the morning was embarrassing her in front of Miroku, but she wasn't angry about that anymore. Embarrassed, yes, but not angry. She felt like, if you would imagine Sesshoumaru as a castle, she had taken the first wall. The first step inside that castle. The first step inside his heart, and maybe his trust.  
  
What he had told her about his past had shocked her. She had hoped he didn't have to see his mother die, but as she found out, he did see it. Somehow, she felt like she had nothing to complain about, she still had her mother, he had lost both parents already. And his mother at such a young age too...  
  
No doubt he became that cold after her death. But she thought that maybe, just maybe he was warming a bit up, as he decided to tell her about this painful experience. He had trust her enough to tell her, and it made her feel good. Of course, she had this effect on almost everyone, people trusted her easily, but he was a worse case. Even when he did tell her, there was no doubt she still didn't have his whole trust, and he would remain as cold as he always was. A bit warmed up maybe, but only a little so you would hardly notice it.  
  
She waved to the guards as she passed the now open gates. Turning her back on them, she left the road that lead away from the castle and disappeared into the forest, following a small path.  
  
She loved this forest. All the trees, and the flowers, and the birds... she simply loved nature. But today, as she entered the forest, it didn't seem as bright as it always did. Dark shadows were between the trees, and it was eerie silent. She neither heard nor saw any birds, and she unconsciously shivered.  
  
She had a bad feeling about this.  
  
Forest near the elven castle  
  
Never, ever in his entire life had he run this fast.  
  
The young kitsune was running like mad, dodging trees and plants, winching as a branch cut his cheek. He was crying, and his vision was blurred because of all those tears. He heard those two youkai chasing him, dodging trees or simply cutting them down if they were in their way.  
  
He began to run harder and harder, desperately trying to get away. Why he tried to escape, he didn't know. He had lost everything, his parents were dead and he had nowhere else to go to. So why shouldn't he just stop, stay here and wait for death?  
  
No, he decided. His mother always told him to be strong, to follow in his father's footsteps, to grow up and be strong, so that they would be proud of him. And he would do so. He wouldn't just die like that. He would fight.  
  
Still running, he noticed that the forest became thicker and thicker, and soon, he didn't know where to go anymore. He stopped running, panting and franticly looking around for an escape route, but it was already too late.  
  
With a crash, another tree was cut down as the two Thunder Brothers appeared in the clearing. The prettier one smirked, and lightning surrounded him.  
  
"Thinking you could escape from us huh? Well, kid, enjoy your last minutes, because you will die now..."Kagome was still walking trough the forest, but she wasn't searching for herbs. Instead, she felt like she was pulled to some place, like a magnet, and the feeling of foreboding began to grow. Deeper and deeper she came into the forest, her expression determinated, her pace going faster and faster. She would find out where this feeling came from.  
  
Then, she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw lightning ahead of her. It was followed by a yell, a yell like you would hear from a little child, scared to death.  
  
It was as if all her hairs began to stand upright, and her hand began to glow with a soft blue light. She broke out into a full run, using her inhuman speed to run trough the forest, in the direction of the lightning.  
  
After a few minutes, she came into a clearing, and her breath stopped at what she saw there.  
  
To her right stood a little child. First, she thought it was an elf, but then she noticed its cute little tail and its aura, which were definitely that of a youkai. The kid was crying, but also throwing little blue flames at its attackers.  
  
Those attackers were to her left. Two youkai, one ugly, one pretty, were attacking the little child with pure lightning. They still didn't notice her, somehow, and the uglier one moved in for the kill as the kid was wounded by the other youkai.  
  
Anger flared up in her. How could one being do such a thing to another one, one of its own kind, and a child none the less? She was no warrior like Kikyou, she didn't learn how to fight, but in that moment, she didn't thought reasonable anymore, she just acted on instinct.  
  
Quickly, before the blow could reach the child, she threw up a barrier around him, and as the boy looked with wide eyes at her, she turned to the ugly youkai and throwed her hands out at him, sending waves of blue light in his direction.  
  
There was a blinding flash, before it died down and all that was left of the youkai were ashes. Kagome bent over, panting as she used a lot of energy, but she quickly attempted to stand again as she heard the other youkai yell in anger.  
  
"Manten, no! You bitch! You killed my brother! You..." he pointed angrily at her. "... you will die for this!"  
  
Castle to the north of the Southern Lands  
  
Kikyou was walking along the corridors of the castle, approaching the room in which the other Lords were waiting for her arrival.  
  
Her face was as cold as always, but on the inside, for once, there was nothing but chaos. Her once so clear and well ordered mind, which knew exactly what to think of which person, was confused.  
  
She still looked down on Lord Kouga, who she found to be rather arrogant and spoiled. She would just ignore him, and think of him as a little child.  
  
She still loathed Naraku, with his evil smirk, and horrible attitude. If there was one person who could manage to get her to stop with her cold behaviour and infuriate her so she lost control, then it was Naraku.  
  
She hated everything about him, not only because he killed her father, but also because of all the other things that foul being had done in his long life. She wanted nothing more than to kill him, but despite being as close to him as she was never before, she couldn't because this was a neutral place; no attacks allowed, only talking.  
  
And yet, she had been close to it last night. She had that arrow there, pointed right at his heart, all she had to do was let her power flow into it and release it, he would be purified and dead before his body hit the ground.  
  
But someone stopped her.  
  
She had been so surprised when Lord Sesshoumaru's younger brother jumped in front of her. First, she thought he would defend Naraku, but no, he defended her, yelling at Naraku for talking to her in such a way.  
  
She always thought of him as a kid too, not too intelligent, or at least not showing it, always insulting people on his way, rude and never thinking trough things. But for once, he showed he had some common sense. Although, not too much. Clever enough to realise it was rude what Naraku said, but not as clever enough to realise he was yelling at one of his allies, and almost attacking that ally too.  
  
That was one of the things why she was so confused. First, why did he defend her, an elf? Second, did he hate Naraku by some change? She sensed anger and hatred in his aura last night, but it confused her, was Naraku not his ally? But then again, she had sensed disgust with Sesshoumaru too if he talked about Naraku. What was going on here?  
  
As she came closer to the room where the other were, she could hear the yells of that very person who was currently on her mind.  
  
"Fuck you, wimpy wolf!"  
  
"You saying something, dog turd?"  
  
Before she opened the door, she sighed once and pushed any confusing thought of Inuyasha aside. He was a stupid youkai behaving like a child, an enemy, and that would never change.  
  
Why did she have the feeling then she couldn't be sure of herself anymore?Inside the room, a person with crimson eyes was studying those around him with care. He watched a bit amused how Kouga and Inuyasha fought, as usual, but not paying too much attention to it, as he already had dozens of plans of how to use this against them.  
  
That was what he always did, studying the people around him, looking at their faces and the way they acted, discovering how they felt about everything and everyone, and then using it against them. Oh yes, toying with people's emotions was what he was best in.  
  
So now, he was thinking about the weird event last night. Young Inuyasha standing up for the elven princess... interesting... he would see how they acted today.  
  
As if on cue, the door opened and Kikyou came in. He noticed how her gaze immediately went to Inuyasha, looking thoughtful at him, probably thinking about the boy. He seemed to notice, as he stopped yelling against Kouga and looked a bit uncomfortable at her, before turning to Kouga again and continue yelling, trying to hide the fact that he was not at ease.  
  
How amusing this was. Finally some distraction, something unexpected.  
  
He could use this sometime...Kagura rolled her eyes at Kouga and Inuyasha, who continued fighting after that elf came in. Deciding this was definitely below her, she turned to look at Kikyou.  
  
Kagura always acted like she hated the elf, insulting her, sometimes fighting against her, if Naraku ordered it, but from deep inside, she respected her, and only disgusted the woman because she was an elf; but she didn't really saw her as an enemy.  
  
She respected the way Kikyou went further with her life after her father's dead, leading the elves to so many victories, she respected her intelligence, and her quiet and composed appearance.  
  
She didn't think of her as an enemy, not really anyway, because she always hoped, someone would free her from her father. She hated Naraku with all her being, but she couldn't kill him. There were some... circumstances... which made it impossible for her. Nobody knew about it, and she always tried to hide her hatred, failing mostly because Naraku would see it anyway. But Kikyou was powerful, and she hated Naraku too, and maybe she could kill him once...  
  
She snapped out of her thoughts, focusing on the others as they had started negotiating. They were discussing an eventual truce, and after another hour or so, they agreed there would be a truce for two months, just like Kikyou had wanted. Kagura especially enjoyed the way Kikyou dealed with Naraku, not attacking physically, but with words, giving sharp remarks. Oh, this woman was clever.  
  
Kouga seemed to be bored, not really paying attention, his gaze wandering to the walls a bit too often. Inuyasha on the other hand seemed to be very nervous, she spotted his flee servant on his shoulder, and he seemed to talk with it a lot. As she saw the mischievous smirk of her father, she pitied the boy, because her father had seemed to notice and would probably comment on it.  
  
"Now, Inuyasha, I didn't know you had nor needed an advisor... I don't think I ever met him..."  
  
The boy glared at her father, getting a bit red, but obviously at a loss of words.  
  
"... or is it you don't really know how to deal with the situation?"  
  
"Feh"  
  
Kagura narrowed her eyes at her father. Sure, Inuyasha was annoying, but that was a bit cruel, embarrassing him like that. And of course, that stupid wolf had to go along with it.  
  
"Hehe, dog turd has no brains, I told him that so often, but he still doesn't get it."  
  
Inuyasha was just preparing to jump and attack Kouga, as Kikyou spoke. "I am sure Lord Inuyasha has more... important... matters on his mind. He is probably worried about his brother, am I right?"  
  
Kagura noticed amused how first Inuyasha opened his mouth, probably to point out 'his brother was an ass and he couldn't care less about what happened to him', but then seemed to realise the elf was helping him. "Yes, that would be right," he muttered instead, settling back, before starting to pout. 'Hn, that must've been hard to say' Kagura mused. She looked at her father. 'Why do I have the feeling he did this on purpose?'  
  
She didn't ponder on it however, as she noticed Kikyou asked for the list of their prisoners. She watched how Kouga and Inuyasha gave their list, both seemingly bored, but as Naraku gave their list, he smirked evilly. She shifted uncomfortable and felt the urge to throw up as she thought of his little plan regarding their prisoners.  
  
Why, of all the people walking this earth, did Naraku have to be her father?  
  
Elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
Servants stared, as they always did when Sesshoumaru walked by. He would normally give them cold glares, but today, he was lost in thought.  
  
He still had to laugh as he thought back of this morning, the way Kagome acted, how embarrassed she had been. After all, he decided he would embarrass her as much as he could while he was here. And he thought he had been rather good at it, seeing how she would still blush whenever she saw him.  
  
It was amusing, yes, but he also worried about it, as everytime she blushed, he thought of how pretty she looked. And that was something to worry about; since when was an elf pretty? But, he noticed as he thought back, when he first met her that had been one of his first thoughts too; she's pretty.  
  
He had been a bit afraid as she told the monk this morning about having a vision involving his past. He had panicked for a second, would she tell the monk? Would she tell everything he told her, and so prove she was not worth his, or anyone's trust? Because that had been the thing he worried most about, he had told her, somehow, about his mother, but did he trust, or could he trust her enough to do that? But, well, he already told her, so there was nothing to do to change it, he decided this morning. Still, he was afraid she would tell someone, but she didn't. The monk didn't even have a change to ask about the vision, as she told him clearly it was confidential.  
  
She had no idea how much he appreciated that.  
  
He blinked against the sudden sunlight, and noticed he was outside, on the courtyard. How had he come here? He wanted to turn and enter the castle again, as he noticed a spot above the forest with pitch-black clouds, while everywhere else, the sun shone brightly. Now, that had nothing to do with nature.  
  
He turned fully, and now noticed there was lightning too, and some noises of fighting. More people seemed to notice, as guards and servants stood together looking at it, muttering what it could mean, the elves among them also hearing the sounds of fighting and worrying about it. He sniffed at the air, and faintly, he smelled three youkai, one of them was a kitsune. Then he stiffened, as another scent reached his nose.  
  
Kagome.  
  
She was out there.  
  
Forest near the elven castle  
  
He had stopped crying, instead, all his tears were forgotten as he followed the battle before him with wide open eyes.  
  
He had tried to fight those youkai, those two brothers, tried to be strong, as his father told him. But he was too weak, he was only a child, it wasn't fair! He had yelled as he was wounded at his side by one of the youkai, and then trembled in fear as the other prepared to kill him.  
  
And then, she came.  
  
A barrier was thrown up around him, and he turned, surprised, with wide eyes looking at the person who cast it.  
  
At first, he thought it must be an angel. He was dead, and now there was an angel to take him away from this world. He had always liked tales about angels, and he imagined, this was just what an angel should be like. Beautiful and kind.  
  
That's when he noticed the pointed ears, her hands glowing with a blue light, and her scent. This was an elf. He was shocked, an elf tried to save him? He knew nothing better than elves were his enemies. He watched how she killed the ugly youkai, turning him into ashes. His eyes widened even more, never had he seen such power.  
  
She had collapsed, and he wanted to hurry towards her, but she smiled at him and told him to stay put, she was going to save him, everything would be alright. That smile of her, it remembered him of his mother, of how she would smile at him, and he felt completely warm inside. He remained where he was and watched how the girl stood again, facing of against the remaining youkai.  
  
He noticed she looked nervous, he didn't understand why, she was so powerful, she could kill that youkai so easily, she had proven that just now... He saw how her hand began to glow blue again, power building there, but the light flickered, as if it would die down any moment now. Had she used too much of her power?  
  
The youkai smirked, mocking her, and threw a blast of lightning her way. The girl's eyes widened, before she jumped out of the way, a bit clumsy, but she managed to get away. However, she hadn't seen how the youkai threw a second blow after the first one, and she got hid on her side, just like he minutes ago. She groaned, clutching her side which began bleeding now, and she leaned on a tree for support.  
  
He watched how the youkai prepared to throw another blow, and he forgot he had to stay to the side, instead running towards the girl and standing protectively in front of her. "S-stay away from her!" he yelled.  
  
The youkai just smirked. "Such bravery... all wasted. But, please, just stay there, that way I can kill you both with one strike..."  
  
Elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
Sesshoumaru stood facing the gates, now, although he would never admit it, a bit nervous. Some time ago, there had been a lot of lightning, and then, nothing. He couldn't check on the situation himself, as there was a barrier around the castle, and it would just throw him back if he would try to pass it. All he knew was that Kagome was outside there, and three youkai. What was happening exactly, he didn't know.  
  
His head shot up as he heard one of the guards yell. "Open the gates!"  
  
He watched how the gates opened, and he couldn't help himself, he was worried about the girl. What the hell happened to her this time? What bad luck had she met now?  
  
His eyes widened a bit as he saw her. She stumbled in, her clothes damaged, cuts and bruises everywhere, and a large wound at her side. She was clutching something, but he couldn't see what it was.  
  
'What stupid thing did she do now?' he thought. 'Has she been fighting? And so yes, for what?' Then, he noticed how whatever it was that she was holding, moved, and he saw how it had a head and a tail, and all in all... it was little kitsune. A youkai. 'I thought she hated making prisoners, so why did she just make one?' he asked himself.  
  
He noticed how all the people around them looked worried, but no one hurried to the girl's side, nobody moved, and he wondered why. She was beloved, they were worried about her, she why didn't they help her? Oh well, maybe they were just shocked.  
  
Then he watched, as if in slow motion, how she slowed down and began to fall to the ground, no doubt losing consciousness. Before he could think of his actions, he was beside her within a second and catched her before she hit the ground.  
  
She went completely limp in his arms, and he picked her up bridal style, with much more care than he could imagine himself doing. The little kitsune who had been in her arms all the time was still there, staring up at him in fear.  
  
"P-please don't hurt her!" he pleaded. He raised his brow at the kid. "Please, she saved me!" it wailed now. "She killed the bad youkai and she saved me!"  
  
He was surprised; she saved this little child, a youkai none the less? But he didn't show it, as he nodded at the kid. Then, he addressed a few guards. "Go and get someone to look after her"  
  
They nodded, and ran off. He looked once more at the girl in his arms, his eyes a bit softening. She saved a little youkai child... typical. He eyed the child, who was crying and clutching Kagome's clothes, then he simply picked it up by its tail and dropped it to the ground.  
  
No use for it anyway.  
  
Then he concentrated on his youki, and a cloud appeared under his feet, lifting him up to the tower in which her room was, and he landed out on the balcony, opened the door to the girl's room and walked towards her bed, placing her down on it.  
  
He stood again, watching her laying there, taking in the ugly bruise on her cheek, the cuts on her arms and legs, the damaged clothing, the bleeding wound on her side. She looked bad, to be honest.  
  
He frowned as he felt something pulsate on his side. Tenseiga, it pulsated. He knew from experience that this sword had a mind of its own, deciding whether or not it wanted to heal someone. And in general, if Tenseiga pulsated, it meant it wanted to heal someone. He looked at Kagome again, his hand unconsciously going towards the sword.  
  
Should he?  
  
Castle to the north of the Southern Lands  
  
Inuyasha was walking trough the castle, trying to find Jaken. They would leave tomorrow, and he needed the toad to do some things for him. He walked on and on, looking everywhere for something green, small and ugly, so he didn't expected to hear a voice at all.  
  
"Good evening Inuyasha." He jumped and whirled around, claws ready to strike. "What, gone from defending me to killing me?"  
  
His jaw dropped. "You..."  
  
But there was no doubt, it was Kikyou standing before him, bow at her back. "What, are you seeing a ghost or something?"  
  
He shut his mouth and immediately went to his old behaviour again. "Feh, I would rather see a ghost than you, bitch"  
  
She looked amused at him. "Really?"  
  
"Yes, really. Are you that stupid that you can't even understand one single sentence?"  
  
She smiled sadly at him. "Maybe I am..." then she turned and began walking away.  
  
Somehow, he felt a bit guilty as he saw that sad smile. He remembered how she helped him this afternoon, when Naraku embarrassed him like that. Before he knew it, he called after her.  
  
She turned around and looked surprised at him. "What is it?"  
  
"I..." as she kept looking at him with those brown eyes, he got impatient. "Look, I just wanted to thank you for helping this afternoon, so quit staring like that ok?" he fell silent, before mumbling "bitch"  
  
He saw how she smirked, and realised she must have heard that insult. "I was merely returning the favour," she said, turning and walking away. Then she looked over her shoulder once, before disappearing around the corner.  
  
"... puppy..."Inside his room, a dark haired man was watching the display with interest trough his daughter's mirror. Oh how funny this was. He could definitely use it.  
  
However, his mind was already somewhere else, with the elf's sister, to be precisely. About an hour or so ago, he witnessed how his two generals were killed by the girl, while she saved the little kitsune.  
  
It was annoying the brat got away, but the main purpose had been to kill its parents, and that had happened. It was also annoying two of his generals were dead, but they were replaceable. He wasn't thinking about those things, no, he was thinking about the girl.  
  
That power of her... He had never seen much of Kikyou's sister, as she would stay in the castle, which was protected by several barriers which made it impossible for him to see her, even trough Kanna's mirror. In fact, at the moment there was a particular strong barrier around the castle. Probably to keep Lord Sesshoumaru inside it... Oh well, he had become interested in the girl. He wanted to find out more about her, firstly because she was the Jewel's protector, and if he wanted to get the Shikon no Tama, he needed to know how to get past her. And second, maybe he could use that power of her in his advantage...  
  
But first, he had to give his prisoners back.  
  
What fun that would be...And I'm back again! Actually, I wrote this chapter two or three days ago (something like that) but I didn't had time to update. Yesterday, I had this BIG party at school till late in the night, and this morning I had to go out of bed early. I've been busy all day until 5 o'clock, I now, finally, I'm at home, relaxing... pfff... poor little me... I've got a headache... and my poor feet... ok, I'll shut up now... zzzzzzzzz is sleeping behind her computer  
  
Inuyasha-n-kagome-rox142: No, I'm not sick of hearing it all... at least not yet -  
  
Migele: Yes, someone absolutely had to barge in... I agree the mother would be fun, but I already thought of Miroku... for reasons you don't know yet... oh well, her mother and Kikyou shouldn't know yet that something is going on... and Miroku is actually just the type to walk into a scene like that... imagine what he would be thinking... -  
  
Lady Lydia: Ehum, well I'll tell you now, later on things will changes in the story... meaning that something will happen with Kagome... I'm not going tell what... aren't I evil? Do you think Shippou is save enough?  
  
Everyone (loverofangelus73069, CometsChaos, shadows-sanity, Inuyasha-n- kagome-rox142, DemoWicca, Helba, migele, Lady Lydia, foxdemon113) thanks for reviewing!!!! 


	11. Chapter Eleven: The prisoners

**Chapter Eleven: The prisoners  
**  
Elven Castle, Southern Lands  
  
On the courtyard sat a little kitsune, crying his eyes out. He had picked himself of the ground, only to see that youkai carry the girl who saved him in his arms while he flew up to a tower.  
  
He had felt scared as he saw the youkai's cold glare. First of all, he wondered why there even was a youkai here, as he only saw elves and humans around him. He was scared this was another one who wanted to kill him, or even worse, that gentle girl. But he noticed how the youkai carried her with ease and was careful not to hurt her.  
  
Still he was worried.  
  
Back in the forest, as he stood before the girl, he had thoughts his life would end there. It was over now; he couldn't win from the youkai and the girl was wounded. But he hadn't noticed how she stood again, and as the youkai throw a blast of lightening their way, she had pushed him aside and threw a blast of energy herself.  
  
The two attacks collided, battling for dominance, but in the end, hers won and the youkai was killed just like his brother, only ashes remained.  
  
She had picked him up and began walking. They had come at a castle, and he marvelled at the sight. They walked in, and he became nervous at all the people around them. Only one had really catched his attention though; that youkai. The way he looked at the girl... annoyed, but worried at the same time. And as she began to collapse, he had caught her.  
  
He shivered as he noticed the curious stares he received. He was always told elves were his enemies, and now he stood with only those creatures around him. He yelped once, jumped up and raced trough the great doors into the castle.  
  
Even if he was scared, he wouldn't turn and run back into the forest. He would try to find that girl that saved him. He had to know if she was alright.  
  
As he came in, he almost jumped back as he saw the various corridors and stairs before him. How the hell was he supposed to find her? But he just followed his instinct and his nose, and began climbing the stairs and running down the halls.  
  
He would find her.

The same girl that was on the kitsune's mind was currently lying in her bed, with a cold looking taiyoukai standing next to her.  
  
He kept ignoring Tenseiga, even if its pulsating had intensified. He bowed down to the girl and looked at her wound. She was not dead, she still breathed, but it was a horrible wound. She was too weak to heal herself, she was even unconscious, so someone else had to look at her. But it wasn't sure if she would make it then.  
  
He silently asked himself if that would be bad, if she would die, would he mind? Her people would mourn, that was clear to him, but he didn't care about that. He looked at her face once more and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Yes, he decided, he did mind.  
  
This girl was so interesting, he had to find out more about her. About her power, about why she saved that kitsune, everything. He kept seeing her smile at him as she did so often, and he saw how Tenseiga even began to glow now.  
  
Yes, he decided, it was a waste to let her die.  
  
He drew the sword and concentrated the same way he did when he revived the little bird. He saw the same little creatures nearing her body, not crawling over her yet because she was still alive. But they ware approaching, eager to take her soul away. There were a lot of them, he had never seen so much of them, so the girl had to have a large soul.  
  
Then, with one quick move, he slashed her with the sword. A bright light appeared, and as it died down, he saw how bruises and cuts disappeared and how the large wound began closing. He sheathed the sword again and stared down at her, as he smelled a human approaching.  
  
He saw how the door opened and that old woman, who the girl called Kaede, came in. She hurried to the girl's side, a worried expression on her face. She quickly looked at the girl's side, only to see that there was no wound visible.  
  
Then she seemed to notice him and she bowed her head. "I don't know what you did with her, but whatever it is, I am grateful. However, I wish to change her clothing, so please, get out"  
  
He stared a moment at the woman, before inclining his head and stepping outside on the balcony.  
  
After several minutes, the old woman came walking out and approached him. "I see no wounds on her anymore, but she is sound asleep now. Judging on what I saw earlier, I'm pretty sure she used a lot of her power, so she will be exhausted. It would be best if you would stay and watch over her. She needs a friend now."  
  
He narrowed his eyes at the human. "Wench, who says she is my friend?"  
  
The woman didn't seem to be intimidated. Instead, she just shrugged. "Maybe you don't see her as YOUR friend, but I have no doubt, she sees YOU as HER friend. And that's enough for me."  
  
"Then she is a fool."  
  
He had expected anything but the answer she gave. "She is." He almost blinked at the woman, she was insulting the princess? Kagome would probably allow it, but he... However, the woman continued. "Yes, she is a fool to help such a stubborn idiot as you are. Such a cold and heartless person... tsss, I don't know what she sees in you." He stared at her with one of his iciest glares. "Yes, go on boy, just stare me down, I don't care if you are a powerful youkai lord or a low human servant, fact is, I speak the truth. Do you always have to react on people like that? Oh well, I will trust Kagome on this, she was always able to find at least some good part in a person. But you better treat her well. All she does is helping you, don't ask me why, but she does. If it had been me..."  
  
He was furious. First that monk, just this morning, rambling about if he loved the girl, and warning him not to hurt her, and now this... this stupid human... His eyes began to bleed a bit red, but he concentrated to keep his blood in check. He had given his word he would do nothing. Besides, Kagome would be upset if he killed the woman. He didn't know why that would bother him, but it did.  
  
So he just kept staring at the woman, marvelling about how she still didn't look scared. Then the woman turned. "I'll be going now. Remember, she has to stay in bed, she has to rest."  
  
Then she was gone.

Kagome blinked as she slowly opened her eyes. She groaned as she felt pain, and she remembered how she was wounded. Quickly, she sat up, and then blinked again. There were no wounds, she only felt sore all over her body and she felt exhausted. But nothing more. With trembling fingers she reached to her side, but there was nothing there. She was all fine, there was no blood visible, and her clothes were new and clean.  
  
Had this all been a dream?  
  
Carefully, she tried to stand. After several attempts, she succeeded, and she began stumbling towards the balcony. She needed some fresh air, and some time to think. She fumbled a bit with the door, and finally, she got it open and she stepped outside.  
  
She breathed in the fresh air and a smile came on her lips. Then she saw something white to her left, and she turned her head in that direction, wiping the hair out of her face as it was blown everywhere by the wind.  
  
Sesshoumaru stared coldly at her, but she didn't saw that anymore, she just kept smiling. Maybe he would know if she dreamed this or if it truly happened.  
  
She took another step towards him, but suddenly stopped as everything began to whirl around her. She didn't see how he frowned and his cold expression disappeared, leaving a worried one. She only fell how she began to fall, her tired legs giving up.  
  
She braced herself, but she felt how suddenly somebody was holding her. She hesitatingly opened her eyes and met Sesshoumaru's golden eyes, looking somewhat worried at her.  
  
"You shouldn't be out of bed," he stated flatly.  
  
She snorted, as if she didn't noticed... She clamped onto his haori, trying to stand but afraid she would fall again. He watched her struggle, and she shrieked as she was suddenly picked up and she was carried inside and dumped on her bed.  
  
"What was that for!" she glared at him.  
  
He snorted. "What, you rather liked to fall?"  
  
She choose to ignore that question. Instead she looked at him with pleading eyes. "What happened?"  
  
"Why should I know? I should be the one asking you that."  
  
"So it wasn't a dream"  
  
"No it wasn't."  
  
Then she realised something. "That kitsune, were is he, I have to see if he's alright!"  
  
She tried to stand but he gently yet firmly pushed her back. "Obviously you couldn't even walk, so I suggest you just stay here for now!"  
  
She glared at him, but sat back. "Fine"  
  
A silence. "Why?"  
  
"Why what?" she asked, looking curiously at him.  
  
"Why did you save that kitsune?"  
  
Her jaw dropped. "Why are you even asking such a question? The child was attacked, should I have turned and let those youkai kill him?"  
  
"He is also a youkai, and so your enemy. Yes, you should have, it doesn't involve you, so why interfere?"  
  
"You. Are. Impossible." she bit out. "He is a child! He is NOT my enemy! And besides, whether it is a youkai, elf or human, it is always wrong to kill someone."  
  
"Why?"  
  
She shut her mouth and sat back. How would she answer this one? She knew it was wrong, but why exactly? Why couldn't you just go and kill anyone around you? She saw how Sesshoumaru looked a bit triumphantly. No, she decided, she would answer him. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction to get his right. She had to show him it was bad to kill somebody.  
  
"Because..." she began, searching for the words. "Because, in general, there is always at least one person who will cry because someone died. There will only be grief and sorrow, hate and revenge, all it brings is bad things."  
  
"Nonsense," he retorted.  
  
"Why should that be nonsense?" she yelled heatedly.  
  
"If you would die, I suppose someone would cry, but I know enough people where nobody would cry for."  
  
"Give me an example," she dared him.  
  
"Me"  
  
"How do you mean?"  
  
"I bet no one would cry if I would die," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
She clenched her fists. How could he think that? Was he really that lonely? "What about your brother," she asked softly.  
  
He shrugged. "I guess he would celebrate it for the next 100 years. You see, I am right, your theory is just nonsense."  
  
"Oh no it isn't nonsense," she said, and she saw how he looked mockingly at her.  
  
"Then name me one person who would be sad if I died. I bet you won't find one."  
  
"I would be sad," she whispered.  
  
His eyes widened, before he snapped at her. "Don't talk nonsense!"  
  
"It isn't nonsense! I would be sad, I would cry, why don't you believe me?" Tears were now in her eyes and she tried with all her being to glare at him, but she couldn't. She buried her head in her hands and sobbed.  
  
"I don't believe you because it doesn't make sense. I am a stranger to you," he answered somewhat softer.  
  
"N-no...," she whispered. "You are no stranger anymore. You are... a friend..."

Castle to the north of the Southern Lands  
  
Naraku chuckled as he saw how his soldiers looked afraid at him. This morning, they would leave this castle. Lord Inuyasha and Lord Kouga already left, but he took his time, as he knew Kikyou wasn't that fond of him, to put it softly, and he just loved to taunt her.  
  
But alas, time had come to finally leave. Kikyou stood on the courtyard, not to say him goodbye, but rather to make sure he would leave, he mused by himself. He saw how she gave him a cold look, and couldn't help for smirking evilly at her. Oh how he loved to toy with people like this.  
  
His eyes travelled to a point behind her as somebody came walking up to her. It was a dark haired woman, a human, dressed in battle gear with a boomerang on her back. He narrowed his eyes as he watched how the woman and the elf talked, and searched trough his memories, trying to discover why he felt like he had seen someone like her before.  
  
Then it hit him. The clothes, the weapons, she was a taiji. Hadn't he rid himself of those people? Then where did this woman came from?  
  
He saw how Kikyou left her and walked inside again, and he silently approached her. "Pardon, my Lady, but do I know you?" he asked with a soft voice.  
  
The woman jumped and as she saw who was speaking to her, she glared at him. "Lord Naraku. No, I don't think we have met, at least, not personally."  
  
"Then tell me, are you not a taiji? I heard rumours they were no longer among the livings?"  
  
The woman flinched at this and her expression darkened. "They died, yes. I am the last of them," she replied shortly.  
  
He nodded and his brain began working once more. So someone survived... How come he didn't notice her before? How could this have escaped his attention? "I heard rumours their village was attacked by youkai..." he continued.  
  
A dark look passed the woman's face, and as the expert he was, he immediately recognised the strong desire of revenge. Oh how he loved this.  
  
"They were attacked, yes," the woman muttered. "... only no one knows who did it..."  
  
"Kukuku... that's not so good, is it dear," he purred. The woman only glared at him. "But... I have also heard rumours of who might have done this." He almost smiled as he noticed how her aura changed, adrenaline flowing trough her veins. This woman was still hurt, and would do anything to get her revenge. Good, excellent... he immediately saw a possibility in this.  
  
"You know who did this?" she asked, looking doubtful.  
  
"Not exactly..." he started to walk away. "...but I suggest you ask the youkai that is currently staying at your lovely castle..."  
  
Her eyes widened. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"  
  
He chuckled softly. "That would be him, yes. He knows more than you think... ask him about his brother and a destroyed village, a year or so ago... That should ring some bells by him..."  
  
The woman's jaw dropped. "W-what do you mean...?" but he had already walked away and mounting his horse, he ordered his soldiers to leave. The woman yelled at him. "Wait, tell me more, what do you mean with this?"  
  
He didn't answer her.

Elven Castle, Southern Lands  
  
Sesshoumaru looked at the girl in shock. She thought of him as a friend? He thought about it, and still couldn't figure out how he thought of her. And despite how often he convinced himself friends were useless, he still felt good as she said she thought of him as a friend.  
  
She kept crying, and something softened inside of him. He could watch anyone cry without giving a damn, only with her he couldn't. Somehow, when she cried, he would feel miserable too. He sat down next to her and gently pulled her close. She buried her head in his chest and continued crying, until she calmed somewhat down.  
  
She sniffled a bit, before glancing up at him, and he watched amused how she blushed again. "Gomen ne Sesshoumaru... I don't mean to cry like that all the time..."  
  
"It's alright," he assured her.  
  
"Sesshoumaru... I just wanted to ask, why don't I have any wounds anymore? I didn't heal myself, did I?"  
  
"No you didn't. I used Tenseiga on you. That Kaede woman cleaned the bed and all."  
  
"You did?" Her eyes widened, but than she smiled. "... thank you..."  
  
They sat a few moments like that, but he stiffened and stood again as he sensed the kitsune approaching. The girl looked curious at him, but before she could ask anything, the door opened and a little red haired boy sprinted trough the room, jumping into her arms.  
  
"Are you alright?!" it cried, looking her all over. Then it seemed to notice how she cried, and it saw how he looked coldly at them. Suddenly, it turned and stood before the girl. "Don't you dare hurt her!" it yelled, but he could smell the kid was terrified.  
  
How amusing.  
  
"Let me see," he began. "Didn't I drop you to the ground earlier? What do you want here?"  
  
Kagome gasped. "You... you did what?"  
  
The child pouted. "It's true, he just throw me away."  
  
Kagome glared at the taiyoukai. "You..."  
  
He just ignored them and walked out.

Kagome huffed as Sesshoumaru left the room, but she quickly looked at the little boy in front of her again. "Are you alright?" she asked concerned.  
  
The child began jumping up and down. "It's nothing, just a little scratch on my side, it'll heal. But how are you? Did that scary youkai hurt you?"  
  
"I'm alright," she smiled at him. "And don't mind Sesshoumaru, he's just a jerk sometimes."  
  
She noticed how the child's eyes widened. "Lord Sesshoumaru?!"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Oh no, I'm done for!" the child wailed, tears in his eyes.  
  
"What is it?!"  
  
"I insulted Lord Sesshoumaru! I am dead!"  
  
"Nonsense," Kagome snorted. "If he wants to touch you, he has to get past me. Besides, why would he want to kill you? I don't think you insulted him"  
  
"It's exactly what happened with my father," the child sobbed. "He didn't listen to his master and he was killed."  
  
"Your father was killed? And your mother?"  
  
"Both of them, by those youkai!"  
  
"And they did that in order of Sesshoumaru?!"  
  
"No, not Lord Sesshoumaru, but Lord Naraku..."  
  
Kagome stiffened as she heard this. Why did she have the feeling that everything miserable in this world could be traced back to only one cause; Naraku? It seemed as if he was responsible for everything evil that happened in this world.  
  
She hugged the child tightly as it continued to sob. "Shhh, it's alright... Why don't you tell me your name?"  
  
"Shippou"  
  
"That's a beautiful name!" The child smiled a bit. "My name is Kagome. Now just stay close to me, I'll protect you. Don't you have any home to go to?" Shippou shook his head. "Then you will stay here for awhile," she decided, not caring an inch if somebody would protest.  
  
She couldn't leave him like that.  
  
Two hours later  
  
Kagome lay down on her bed, half asleep, with Shippou snuggled close to her. He had told her everything that happened to him, before he fell asleep. She was positively furious now, if she would ever met this Naraku, she would... she would... she would probably do nothing, but for now, she felt like she could kill the bastard. Doing this to such a sweet little boy.  
  
She smiled down at him, but she looked back up as she heard how her door opened. She smiled at the dark haired woman that came in. "Mother..."  
  
Her mother came walking to her and sat down on her bed. "Kaede told me what happened, but she wouldn't let me see you, she said you needed to rest." She gestured towards Shippou. "It appears my daughters both have taking a liking to bringing strange youkai into the castle."  
  
"Please, mother, can he stay?" She looked at her mother with big innocent eyes. "Please? They killed his parents and he has nowhere else to go..."  
  
Her mother looked with sad eyes at the kitsune. "Really, he's all alone?" She sighed, before she nodded. "Alright, he can stay."  
  
Kagome smiled and hugged her mother enthusiastically. "I never expected you to agree!"  
  
"Oh well, if we can afford to have a youkai lord here, we can surely keep such a sweet little child who's orphanaged." She held her head a bit to side, looking at Shippou and ruffling trough his hair. "But, Kagome, never scare me like that again. Call some guards, but don't rush into a fight like that. You are not properly trained for something like that. Kaede told me your wounds were gone all of the sudden. Did you heal yourself?"  
  
"No, Sesshoumaru did."  
  
"Really? I won't even ask how, but I am grateful. I will thank him later. Tell me... do you like him?"  
  
Kagome blushed but tried to hide it. "Well, I see him as a friend. He's very arrogant, but he's not that bad."  
  
Her mother nodded. "I'll just warn you, he is a prisoner, he will have to leave. And I can tell you, he may act different here, but once he is out there, and free again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you. He's dangerous."  
  
"I don't believe that."  
  
"We'll see... just be careful. And speaking of prisoners, I received two letters today. Kikyou will be back tomorrow morning, and the prisoners will arrive one or two days later. However, Lord Naraku has informed us he will send his prisoners somewhat earlier. They will probably arrive around the same time as Kikyou."  
  
Kagome shivered as she heard Naraku's name. "I just hope everything is alright with them. Did you know Lord Naraku ordered to kill his parents?" she pointed at Shippou.  
  
Her mother gasped. "He did?" then she shook her head. "What has happened with this world? People acting like that... Anyway, I have to go honey. Don't think of it anymore, just go to sleep."  
  
"Good night mother"  
  
"Good night"  
  
She watched how her mother left her room, and then she turned and took Shippou in her arms. In his sleep, he smiled and snuggled closer to her. She smiled too, then closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.  
  
The next morning  
  
Kagome stood outside on the courtyard, along with almost everyone else in the castle. Kikyou would return, and everyone had stopped working to welcome her and the people with her.  
  
Kagome had left Shippou up in her room, she didn't want Kikyou to see him yet, as she didn't know how her sister would react to the fact that there was another youkai in the castle. Probably she would sense him, but she wanted to explain first before she actually saw him.  
  
As far as she knew Sesshoumaru wasn't in his room but somewhere on the grounds, maybe practicing with his sword. She smiled a bit as she thought of him. He really wasn't bad, she still had to blush as she thought about how he had hugged her yesterday. Shippou had told her he carried her up the tower, and he had healed her.  
  
She never believed he would do such a thing as using his healing sword on her. She still didn't understand why he had done it. She was an elf, she thought he hated her, but she couldn't find anything logical in his actions. It would have been natural for him to let her die or struggle back to health without even helping a second. Yet, he had used Tenseiga, healing her within seconds. No matter why he had done it, she couldn't thank him enough for it.  
  
He had looked so incredibly shocked as she told him she thought of him as a friend. It was almost comical to see him, the great lord, looking shocked, but she only felt saddened by it. He didn't have friends, and probably never had, always alone, never trusting people, she just had to prove him wrong. Friends weren't useless, they were the most important people around you.  
  
She had to smile as she thought back to this morning. Her mother had thanked Lord Sesshoumaru during breakfast, for healing her daughter. She still hadn't told Shippou about it, but as soon as he heard Sesshoumaru healed her, he had looked up at the youkai with so much admiration in his eyes, it was just so comical. The kitsune was still afraid of the taiyoukai, but he had began to ask him al sorts of questions, which Sesshoumaru didn't appreciate at all. He simply ignored the child, but Kagome could tell Shippou wouldn't give up. Now that could be funny...  
  
She looked up as she heard the guards command to open the gates. This meant Kikyou had arrived. Sure enough, Kikyou came in a few minutes later, together with Sango and the few soldiers she had taken with her. Kagome didn't wait any longer, she just ran up to her sister and her best friend and embraced them both.  
  
"Kikyou, Sango! I'm so glad you are back!"

Somewhere in the gardens, a certain youkai lord was training with his sword. Sesshoumaru was doing all sorts of practicing moves, and he moved around the place so fast you could hardly see him. His moves were smooth and even a normal person could tell he was good at fighting.  
  
However, his thoughts were somewhere else. Something had happened that morning, and it left him feeling worried. He had shown up at breakfast to see Kagome sitting there, with the kitsune next to her, and her mother. Lady Aglaia had thanked him for healing her daughter, something he only acknowledged with a bow of his head. He couldn't care less.  
  
No, the only thing that he kept concentrating on was that kitsune, and the way it acted around Kagome. The boy was always close to her, looking up at her with admiration and respect, and she kept laughing and talking at him. Now, normally that shouldn't interest him at all, but he noticed how a growl almost escaped him as he watched them, and his instincts began kicking in. As the child began asking him all sorts of questions, he had simply ignored it and had walked out the room.  
  
But now he was still thinking of it. It was almost as if he felt possessive over Kagome, but that couldn't be true... But then why couldn't he stand seeing her around that kitsune, and even that monk? Oh well, he couldn't stand the monk with his constant rambling, but he would almost growl if Kagome talked to him. Now that was strange...  
  
He made some more moves, slashing trough the air with Toukijin. Just then, a certain scent catched his attention. Naraku's scent... where did that come from?  
  
Then, out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed something big up in the air. He sheathed Toukijin, and concentrated on whatever it was, his eyes narrowing to see it clearly. With his keen eyes, he recognised the person he saw.  
  
Kagura.

Sango returned Kagome's embrace, only to turn and slap a certain monk who had sneaked up behind her.  
  
"Houshi-sama!"  
  
"And a lovely good morning to you, my lady!" the monk replied, smiling while rubbing his cheek.  
  
Sango looked annoyed, and then turned to talk to Kagome, but her expression darkened as she saw who was standing behind the girl. Kagome gasped as she bumped into that very person. "Sesshoumaru?!"  
  
Sango watched with anger how Kagome smiled up at the taiyoukai. All the way back to the castle, she had pondered on what Naraku had said to her. She knew one couldn't trust Naraku, but it did make sense. Their village had been near the Western Lands, and it could be possible Sesshoumaru or his younger brother had something to do with its destruction. She had decided she would talk with Kagome about it, but apparently, judging by how she smiled at the youkai, she would probably gain nothing by it.  
  
She glared at Sesshoumaru, but he only answered her gaze with a cold one. She shivered, yes, it wasn't impossible that he was the one responsible for her family's death...

Sesshoumaru made his way to the courtyard, where he knew every elf and human in the castle would be. Kagome had told him about Naraku's letter, how the prisoners would arrive earlier, and he had a feeling that could be now.  
  
He frowned at the way that taiji was looking at him, but he just ignored it as he catched the scents and sounds of various people coming to the castle, humans and elves, he concluded. He saw how Kagome noticed it too, along with the other elves, and he heard the guards yell.  
  
"They are coming! They are coming home!"

Kagura sat up in the air, on her feather, watching how Naraku's former prisoners walked towards the castle. She was playing with her fan and nervously chewing on her under lip. Why, oh why did she have to go trough with this? She knew trying to talk to Naraku was futile, yet, she tried yesterday, asking him what benefit he would have with this, if it was necessarily...  
  
She had paid for it.  
  
Her eyes flashed in anger for a moment, remembering her punishment. Oh how she hated that bastard. She began circling around the castle once, looking if everyone was present and waiting at the front gates. Naraku had told her to make sure everyone would see it. She had one satisfaction though, he couldn't see it himself, as Kanna's mirror couldn't reach to this place.  
  
She noticed a strong barrier around the castle, but she could probably pass it, as it was concentrated on the inside, as if to keep someone in the castle. She narrowed her eyes as she saw a white and silver flash in the gardens. As that person stopped and stared up at her, she noticed who it was.  
  
Sesshoumaru.  
  
She knew Naraku hoped Sesshoumaru would die now. She was a bit surprised by it, after all, if Sesshoumaru died now, Naraku could take over the Western Lands, but he would lose a very powerful ally. It made her wonder if her father had found some new power, making him confident enough to risk such a thing like this.  
  
She floated back to the front gates, and clenched her jaw. There was nothing to do about it now. No way out of it, she had to do it. Surely, the elves would be infuriated once this was over.  
  
She pitied them.

Kagome watched nervously how the gates opened. So Naraku's prisoners had arrived. How would they be doing? Would they be alright? Had Naraku tortured them? Kikyou had told her Naraku could be very evil, and even Sesshoumaru didn't seem to like him.  
  
She stiffened as suddenly, everything went dark, and she heard screaming. The screaming of people who were terrified. She clasped her hands before her ears, but she couldn't block it out, it was inside her head. It didn't stop...  
  
Then she felt how someone took her hands and she heard a low voice. "Kagome..."  
  
She blinked, and suddenly she saw Sesshoumaru gazing at her, holding her hands. Behind him were Kikyou, Sango and Miroku all looking worried at her and glaring at Sesshoumaru. "S-something isn't right...," she managed to say.  
  
Kikyou frowned. "Come on Kagome, stop talking about those stupid visions of yours. Our friends are going to walk trough that gate any moment, it is no time to get hysterical; it is a time to celebrate their home coming."  
  
Every turned, looking at the gates again, only Sesshoumaru didn't. He kept staring at her. "You notice it too?" he asked softly.  
  
She frowned at him. "What did you notice than?"  
  
He hesitated. "I smell... something..."  
  
She waited for him to continue, but it was almost as if he didn't want to tell her, afraid she would get upset. Then, as she looked past him, she saw how Naraku's prisoners walked in.  
  
If she ever feared something wasn't right, now she knew it for sure. They just walked in, but the way they walked was so unnatural... They were all stiff, and their heads were down, so you couldn't see their faces. Unconsciously, she reached behind her, where Sesshoumaru stood now, and grasped his hand, squeezing it. A strange feeling flew trough her, a feeling of foreboding and fear.  
  
It had become eerie quiet around her. Everyone seemed to notice something was wrong, even the humans, only no one dared to voice their concern. Kagome focused on her powers, trying to feel the prisoner's auras.  
  
Just then, one woman, who walked up the front, looked up at Kagome, face without any expression, slightly red eyes. Then, she and all the other prisoners dropped to the ground.  
  
Kagome gasped and stumbled back into Sesshoumaru, clutching his hand as if it was her last lifeline. Now she knew what he smelled, and she knew what was wrong.  
  
They were all dead.

Okay, uhm... I know what you are thinking now, why the hell is she killing everyone off? Well, don't worry, you'll see what happens later... No, I won't tell you, this is a cliff hanger, you know - I love being evil... hehe...  
  
Oh, and it's time for a celebration! I've got this story on some more sites, and all the reviews I got are now, together, 224!!! Yep, I passed the 200, I even got 41 for the last chapter! Thanks to all of you out there!!!  
  
For those who read my other story, Changes, I'm working on a new chapter, but I don't know when I will finish it, as I don't have much inspiration now... But I won't forget it!  
  
Lady Lydia: Ok, a small part with Sango in it... To be honest, I almost forgot about her... I'm stupid...  
  
Migele: Yeah, he could've saved her, maybe... But then there was no way to keep him in the castle anymore, and I need him to be there just a little longer...  
  
Robin's-hope: Wow, thank you!  
  
IcyAsh: Hehe, don't die, here's another chapter...  
  
DemonWicca: As you saw, she was not really dead...  
  
Everyone, thanks for reviewing!


	12. Chapter Twelve: A miracle

Chapter Twelve: A miracle  
  
Elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
To the north, a dark haired man sat in his room, looking annoyed at his youngest daughter's mirror which for once reflected nothing.  
  
To the east, Lord Kouga was watching how his prisoners, accompanied by some soldiers, walked away.  
  
To the west, Inuyasha had already sent his prisoners away, and was currently beating Jaken to a pulp because the toad annoyed him.  
  
And to the south... to the south, an entire courtyard was full with horror filled people. Some had fainted, some were crying, some were just in shock, jaw dropped, eyes wide, not wanting to believe what they saw.  
  
Only one person remained emotionless.  
  
Once he saw Kagura, he already guessed something would happen. As he stood on the courtyard, he had heard the prisoners coming, just like the elves, but he could also SMELL them. And once he smelled them, he had no doubt anymore. The disgusting smell of death was incredibly strong, almost overwhelming.  
  
Then Kagome began acting all weird again. He felt worried she might actually see something terrible again, and so he tried to snap her out of it, and with success. He just ignored her sister and friends, which were, according to his opinion, a bit rude towards her, not being interested in her visions. But he just couldn't bring himself to tell her what he smelled. She looked so scared, so vulnerable... Foolish of course, as she would see it herself either way.  
  
As Kagome catched his hand, he allowed her to do so. Outwardly, he looked almost bored at all the dead bodies lying on the ground, some of them slit open by the throat, others stabbed to death.  
  
Inwardly, he was utterly disgusted. He may hate humans and elves, but he had his honour. Never, EVER would he go so low as to play such dirty tricks. This had nothing to do with honour, this was just plain evil.  
  
Just like the man who thought of it.  
  
He looked at the sky and saw how Kagura was still circling the castle on her large feather. Yes, Naraku was predictable, he had done this before. He stiffened as he smelt the salt of tears.  
  
Kagome. She was crying.  
  
She had taken a step back in shock, and now stood no doubt without realising it, leaning against his chest, still clutching his hand. He frowned a bit. No doubt, sweet, kind hearted Kagome would take this bad. He couldn't care less how the others would feel, but he felt uncomfortable as he sensed her sadness. Somehow, he didn't want her to cry.  
  
He brought up his left hand and laid it on her shoulder. She shuddered and the sound of a quiet sob reached his ears.  
  
"No," she whispered. "... this... this can't be real..."  
  
"It is," he answered, and although he was a bit worried, no compassion or any emotion like that was evident in his voice.  
  
Kagome shook her head. "No!"  
  
Before he or anyone else could do anything, she had released his hand and ran towards the dead people lying in front of them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Although she hated death with a passion, Kagome had seen many people die in her long, long life. And it was always the same, always, it would never change. The shock, the denial, the tears, the pain inside her heart...  
  
She had seen humans being born, knowing that some decades later, they would be gone already. She had seen soldiers die, soldiers who were so wounded even she couldn't help them anymore. One would think 'well, it's good then she doesn't join in battle' but that didn't really matter, as she would see it in her visions sometimes.  
  
She had been so full of hope. Yes, they did capture someone for it, but finally, all their missing friends would return home.  
  
And then this happened.  
  
She ran towards all the dead people, crying. As she reached them, she recognised the woman who looked up at her earlier. She noticed she had blood on her clothing, and just lay there, completely limp.  
  
She fell on her knees, and trembling, she reached out with her hand. It came closer, and closer. As she was inches away of the woman's face, she hesitated. Then, instead of touching the woman, she retreated and clasped her hand before her mouth, tears streaming down her face.  
  
Why did this happen?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kikyou watched the whole display in shock. Never had she expected this to happen. Never. She felt guilty, after all, it was SHE who captured Lord Sesshoumaru and demanded the prisoners' release. She was the one who began all this. She stood on the begin of it.  
  
She looked at her mother, who was crying, leaning on another elf's shoulders for support.  
  
'Yes' Kikyou decided. 'Naraku will pay for this'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sango clutched Hiraikotsu with white knuckles. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared down at those people.  
  
And then to think that just yesterday she spoke to the man who did this. During the negotiations, she had stayed in her room, not wanting to encounter any youkai at all. And then, he came walking up to her, that... that monster.  
  
She wanted to avert her eyes but couldn't. She just kept staring and staring, and the bodies changed before her eyes, becoming those of her family and friends. She could still hear them scream, she could still see their village burn...  
  
It was not until she felt a hand on her arm that she snapped out of it.  
  
"Sango..."  
  
She turned to see Miroku standing there, with understanding in his eyes. He hugged her, and for once, she didn't slap him but just went along.  
  
Her thoughts were shattered as she looked over his shoulder, taking in all the other shocked people.  
  
And then, she saw HIM.  
  
He stood there, to the side, with such a cold and indifferent look, her blood began to boil.  
  
'I heard rumours their village was attacked by youkai...'  
  
'They were attacked, yes... only no one knows who did it...'  
  
She gently pried Miroku off before clutching Hiraikotsu and beginning to walk.  
  
'...I suggest you ask the youkai that is currently staying at your lovely castle...'  
  
She walked closer and closer, and finally, he seemed to notice her. He looked annoyed at her, which angered her even further. Then he raised one single eyebrow in question.  
  
That one did it. Oh was she going to show him something! It didn't matter he was stronger, in fact, nothing mattered at all. Sango crouched in a more offensive stance, Hiraikotsu ready.  
  
"You!" she yelled at him. "You think this is funny?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the taiji's weird behaviour. However, he soon became slightly angry as she yelled at him.  
  
"What is it, human?" he replied calmly. "You seem to forget these are not my prisoners. I didn't kill them, and as far as I know, I am not laughing. So, why should I think this is funny?"  
  
"I don't care!" she answered. "You are SICK, do you know that? You stand there, as if it doesn't matter at all!"  
  
"Well I must say I feel rather good, I doubt something is wrong with my health"  
  
"You... you BASTARD!" he could swear he heard the woman growl. "I'm asking you something, and you will answer me. A year or so ago, the village in which I lived was destroyed. I am the only one who survived the attack. I want to know if you have something to do with it."  
  
He knew perfectly well of which village she spoke, but he didn't tell her. "I usually don't bother with human villages," he snorted. "Could be I destroyed a couple of them, if they were in my way... However, a taiji village? I do not recall such a thing."  
  
"I don't believe you!" she brought up her boomerang. "I think you attacked the village, and killed everyone. And even if you didn't, one of the Lords didn't obey to our demands, which means, we are going to kill you! I will make you pay for all the evil you ever did!"  
  
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "If you insist. It's your funeral..."  
  
His hand was at Toukijin's hilt, and his aura flared up, scaring the wits out of everyone. The monk tried to stop the taiji, but she wouldn't listen, and then, she let go of the boomerang.  
  
He prepared to jump out of its way, and then using his speed to attack her from behind while her weapon was gone, but he never came to it. Instead, his eyes widened in shock.  
  
Someone jumped in front of him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome was still crying, obvious as to what was happening around her. She now knew who she heard screaming before. She had heard all these people, just before they died.  
  
Then she heard someone shout and watched worried, along with everyone else, how Sango began to yell at Sesshoumaru.  
  
To everyone, he would seem bored, or maybe a bit annoyed, but she knew he was probably pissed. She was worried, worried that he would kill Sango, but also worried that he would get hurt. It was true, they had said they would kill him if someone didn't obey to their demands. But... she didn't want him to die...  
  
She heard gasps and shocked cries from around her as Sango released her boomerang. She watched as if in trance how it moved closer and closer to Sesshoumaru...  
  
She could have just thrown up a barrier, or knocked the boomerang away with her power, but she didn't thought of all this, she just panicked and ran with unnatural speed towards Sesshoumaru, standing before him, clutching her eyes shut, preparing for the impact the boomerang would have on her body.  
  
Only, it never came.  
  
Suddenly, two strong arms grasped her and someone was carrying her out of the boomerang's reach, jumping high before landing gracefully behind Sango. She opened her eyes and blinked at Sesshoumaru, who, even if they stood on the ground, didn't release her but held a firm grip on her, his arm around her waist.  
  
"S-Sesshoumaru...?"  
  
He didn't answer her, instead he glared over her head at someone who was standing behind her. Turning, she saw Sango, who was pale of shock, realising she almost injured or maybe even killed her best friend. Then, the taiji saw how close Sesshoumaru was to her, and her expression became angry again.  
  
"Get away from Kagome!" she screamed. "If you dare hurt her, I swear I'll kill you!"  
  
Suddenly, Sesshoumaru was no longer holding her. She blinked once, before she realised he had moved. She heard a surprised cry, and turned to look at Sango again. Her jaw dropped at what she saw.  
  
Sango was on the ground, Hiraikotsu thrown a few feet away, and Sesshoumaru's sword was at her throat. Everyone froze, but Kagome hurried over and pulled on Sesshoumaru's arm.  
  
"Please, Sesshoumaru, don't hurt her! She didn't insult you on purpose! Please, she is my friend!"  
  
He growled. "You call... this... a friend?" He gave more pressure on Sango's throat with Toukijin. "She almost killed you"  
  
Kagome stared at him. He didn't care Sango insulted him, he was angry because she could have been hurt? However, she shook her head. "Yes, I call her a friend! She didn't intent to hurt me, it was all my fault, I walked in. She only intended to hurt YOU. Please, just let her go! For me?"  
  
A few seconds passed tension thick in the air, as suddenly, Sesshoumaru pulled back and sheathed Toukijin. "You should be glad human..." he looked at Sango with an icy glare. "...next time, your friend can't save you anymore. Next time, you're dead..."  
  
Then, he turned around and stared at the dead prisoners. Everyone around them gasped as he drew yet another sword, including Kagome, as she recognised which sword it was.  
  
Tenseiga.  
  
All sorts of questions rang trough her head. What did he want with the healing sword? She saw how he walked closer to the corpses. 'W-wait a minute...' she thought 'is he... is he going to... to revive them? But why? Why revive his enemy? No, this can't be true, it doesn't make sense...'  
  
She saw how Kikyou had drawn an arrow and looked angry at the taiyoukai. "Lord Sesshoumaru, I am not going to allow you to molest their bodies any further. Touch them, and I will not hesitate to kill you"  
  
Kagome panicked again, and before Kikyou or anyone else could do something, she erected a barrier around everyone who stood watching.  
  
Her sister turned and looked at her, angrily. "Kagome, what the hell are you doing?!"  
  
"Don't worry Kikyou!" she shouted back. "He isn't going to anything bad to them! Trust me, just watch"  
  
Kikyou shut her mouth, and along with everyone else, watched, as they couldn't do much anyway.  
  
Sesshoumaru stood before the dead bodies, sword in his right arm, which he held out up in the air. A wind began blowing around the courtyard, lifting his silver hair up and blowing it around his face, which was as calm as ever. Everyone gasped as the sword began to pulsate so wildly, both elves and humans could feel it. A few seconds later, it began to glow with a bright light, and everyone watched in awe how Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, before slashing the sword down.  
  
A bright light erupted from the sword. Not exactly blinding, but more soothing, a beautiful light, which left everyone feel warm inside. It held on for awhile, then it began moving from the inside to outside, more like waves, light travelling trough the castle and even beyond it. Then, it died down.  
  
Sesshoumaru turned, and Kagome shivered at his stare. It went right trough her, and it held a weird emotion, something she didn't recognise. Then, she heard someone scream.  
  
"T-they are moving! It's a miracle! They... they are alive!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

High up in the air, Kagura was leaning dangerously over the edge of her feather, her fan clutched in her hands, her eyes wide while her face visibly paled.  
  
'No, it can't be true...'  
  
Yet, her eyes weren't betraying her like she thought they did. It was unmistakable, down on the ground were now a couple of prisoners walking around, surrounded by friends, families and others. And, again, there was no mistake possible, they were ALIVE.  
  
It made her feel two things. First, she was content, as Naraku didn't get his way, the prisoners were alive again, and Sesshoumaru wasn't anywhere near death.  
  
But second, and most important of all, she was dreading her journey back home, and the time when she would have to face her father and report to him what she saw. Oh, he would be pissed. Maybe 'pissed' was even an understatement. None of his plans worked, everything back fired, and when something like that happened, and especially when she was involved, she knew what that meant.  
  
Punishment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

"Kagome!"  
  
Kagome smiled as Shippou lunged himself at her, hugging her as she catched him in her arms. She ruffled trough his hair and sighed once.  
  
Outside, the whole population of the castle was still surrounding the now revived prisoners, questioning them, investigating them, if they really were alive or if this was yet another trick. After Sesshoumaru had stared at her, she heard those yells 'they are alive' and that kind of stuff. As she looked at him again, he was gone. She had glanced around somewhat, but thought he would probably be bored by this and went somewhere else. She could tell he wasn't in his room, so maybe he was outside in the gardens.  
  
She herself had disappeared too, leaving everyone behind to go up to her room. She wanted to check on Shippou, and really, she wasn't up to answering all the questions yet, which would probably be directed towards her once everyone was over their surprise. Hell, she herself didn't know the answer to the most important one. Yes, she could explain to everyone what exactly happened, but there was one thing she couldn't answer.  
  
Why? Why did he revive them?  
  
She always found him mysterious, but the way he looked back there, with Tenseiga in his hands, it was just... unnatural. 'It probably ignores all the rules of nature,' she thought by herself. 'I mean, when someone dies, he is supposed to remain dead, not to be alive again. I think that's just why Tenseiga belongs to Sesshoumaru. He always wants complete control, and really, he has, even over life itself. It just... suits him, I think.'  
  
"Kagome, what happened just now?"  
  
She frowned and looked down at the little kitsune in her arms. "What did you mean Shippou? I thought you were in this room?"  
  
He pouted. "I was curious, so I went outside on the balcony. I saw everything!" As she looked shocked, he shrugged. "I have seen dead people before, don't worry about that. But, what did Sesshoumaru do?"  
  
"He revived them..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Why? How? What the hell happened...?"  
  
Kagome was standing outside the dining room, Shippou was next to her, and she was just about to open the door as she heard Kikyou shout. She sighed, just what she expected, everyone was full of questions, Sesshoumaru didn't show himself all day, and now... now she had to answer them all.  
  
She had stayed up in her room all afternoon, not wanting to answer anything. Everytime she felt someone approach her room, she would erect a barrier. She didn't felt like talking to anyone, but now, she couldn't avoid it anymore. Damn that stupid taiyoukai, leaving her to do it.  
  
She smiled at Shippou who looked up at her with wide eyes. "Now, don't be scared if my sister or friends act a bit rude towards you, they don't like youkai, but I'm sure, once they know you, they'll all like you. I'll be there, ok?"  
  
He nodded at her, and she opened the door, stepping into the room. A deep and long silence met her, and hesitatingly, she lifted her eyes to look at everyone. Her mother was sitting there, smiling at her, Miroku winked, but two persons were staring at her in shock, namely Kikyou and Sango.  
  
Then, her sister stood and pointed at Shippou, who held her hand and looked as sweet as he could look. "Kagome... who is that? Can you explain to me why there is a youkai child, here, in our castle?"  
  
Her mother looked up at Kikyou and frowned. "Now Kikyou, be a bit nicer. This young child here is Shippou, and he's staying with Kagome for the moment."  
  
Sango's jaw dropped. "Another youkai, in the castle?"  
  
Miroku sighed and looked sad at her. "My dear Sango, that's what I've been trying to tell you all afternoon! Only, you wouldn't listen to me..."  
  
Sango's right eye twitched. "That's because your hands were wandering a bit off. And..." she stiffened "... would you mind removing those hands, THIS instant?"  
  
Miroku smiled at her, but was so wise to retreat. He noticed how everyone looked at him in irritation, and coughed once. "Well, why don't we let Lady Kagome tell us what happened?"  
  
"Yes, a good idea," Sango growled. "I need a distraction, or else I'm going on a rampage here. And YOU would better watch out then, Houshi-sama..."  
  
All attention turned back towards her, so she quickly began speaking. "Well... eh, his name is Shippou, as mother already told you, and... Oh well, to put it short, he was attacked outside, in the woods, by two youkai who killed his parents. I happened to be near, and I killed the two youkai and brought him back here. Mother has allowed him to stay, as he has nowhere else to go." She patted him on the head. "Really, he is so sweet, you have nothing to fear of him..."  
  
Kikyou sighed, but sat down again. "Alright, alright, I suppose there is nothing to do about it anyway..."  
  
Everyone looked a bit weird at her, after all, she hated youkai with a passion, but they shrugged it aside. Sango however was still looking doubtful at the kid. Then Kikyou spoke again.  
  
"You said you killed his attackers?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"Weren't you wounded? Are you alright, I mean, you are not really a fighter..."  
  
"Well, I was wounded, I had this large wound on my side and I was unconscious, but Sesshoumaru healed me."  
  
Kikyou's jaw dropped. "He... he healed you?"  
  
Their mother smiled. "Yes, Kikyou, that would be right. Lord Sesshoumaru has already been... very generous towards us, Kagome was seriously injured, and still, he healed her so that nothing remained, not even the slightest bruise. I have already thanked him for that, but I believe, he has done something this morning, which nobody even thanked him for yet. Tell me Kagome, do you know where he is?"  
  
She shook her head. "He isn't in his room, I think he is outside, practising with his swords. I guess he is just ignoring everyone..."  
  
"But...," Sango looked quizzically at her. "... what exactly did he do this morning? I mean, all I saw was him, standing there with that sword, that light, and then... suddenly everybody was alive again! Isn't this another trick? Who says they won't be dead tomorrow morning?"  
  
"It's the sword Sango... he told me about it. He inherited it from his father, and it is called Tenseiga. You know, he healed me with that sword too. He told me, it could heal 100 beings in once, or revive them. I suppose that's what he did tomorrow, don't you think so?"  
  
"But...," Sango looked confused, just like the others. "... why? Why did he do it?"  
  
Kagome sighed, she knew this question would come, a question only Sesshoumaru could answer. "I don't know, really, I don't have the faintest idea why. But I think it only proves I am right, not all youkai are bad..."  
  
Suddenly, Shippou, who sat next to her, began jumping up and down. "Yes, Sesshoumaru is not bad! Naraku is!"  
  
A loud crash was heard as Kikyou smashed her fist on the low table in front of her. "Yes, he is! And he is going to pay for what he did!"  
  
Kagome swallowed as she thought back of Sesshoumaru. They had said they would kill him, if something like this morning would happen. She was scared, surely they wouldn't kill him, right? "What about Sesshoumaru?" she began. "I mean, you wouldn't..."  
  
"Of course we won't kill him," her mother interrupted her. "I know he is a youkai, but whatever his reasons may have been, he did help us, and a lot even. We can not kill him for that. We will just keep him here during the truce you arranged, and besides, his and Lord Kouga's prisoners haven't returned yet, and I think these prisoners will be just fine."  
  
Relief spread trough her, and she smiled up at her mother. "Thank you!"  
  
Her mother nodded at her. "Now I suggest we just eat. It doesn't seem as if Lord Sesshoumaru will turn up."  
  
Everyone nodded and they began to eat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After they eat, everyone, one by one, left the dining room to go back to their own rooms. Sango had been uncomfortable all evening, looking at Kagome and that kitsune.  
  
This afternoon, she had gone up the tower, wanting to apologise to Kagome for nearly killing her, but there was a barrier; apparently Kagome didn't like visitors at the moment. Kikyou had tried and wanted to break the barrier, but then, Lady Aglaia showed up and ordered to leave her alone.  
  
Sango watched Shippou, following his every move, trying to find something so she could still say 'I hate ALL youkai' like she did so often, but she found nothing. She had to admit, the boy was sweet, and she couldn't possibly bring herself to hate him. She didn't want to admit it, she tried to think back to what happened with her village, but it wasn't as if she could blame Shippou for that. He was just a child...  
  
Then she thought of Sesshoumaru again. By now, she even doubted he had something to do with her village's destruction. And with him, too, she began to doubt if he really was that bad.  
  
That morning, as she throwed Hiraikotsu at him and Kagome jumped before him, it was as if her heart stopped beating. One of her best friends was in danger, and it was because of her. But then that taiyoukai had something which surprised not only her, but most likely everyone present.  
  
He had saved Kagome.  
  
And then, later, he had revived all those prisoners. It only showed how powerful he was, and if he would do something like this, he couldn't be all evil, could he?  
  
She saw how Kagome got up, carrying a sleeping Shippou in her arms and excusing herself to her rooms. She jumped up, and followed her friend out of the room.  
  
"Kagome, wait!" Kagome turned towards her, waiting for her to continue, and she began to look a bit uncomfortable. "Look, about this morning, I..."  
  
A huge smile came on Kagome's face. "Really Sango, I understand. And I'm not angry at you, don't worry!"  
  
"Really? I mean, I could have hurt you... I didn't mean it though, it was for Sesshoumaru!"  
  
Kagome frowned. "Why did you even get so angry at him? What makes you think he had attacked you village?"  
  
She coughed and stared at her feet. "Lord Naraku told me I should ask him..."  
  
She watched in amazement how her friends' narrowed in anger. "Naraku you say? I bet you everything it was not Sesshoumaru, but him!" She looked down at the kitsune in her arms. "Did you know that Naraku ordered those youkai to kill him and his parents?"  
  
Sango's eyes widened. "He did?" she shivered. "I can't believe I spoke with that guy. Even when I just talked to him, I could feel he was evil." She looked at Shippou and sighed. "I think I will have to change my opinion Kagome..."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Not all youkai are bad..."  
  
Kagome smiled at her. "No, not all of them. But there is always an exception on the rule. I wonder how that Naraku can even live with what he does..."  
  
Sango gritted her teeth. "I wonder what he is doing right now... I would just love to kill him..."Naraku's castle, Northern Lands  
  
Kagura stood once again before the door to her father's room. And once again, she was nervous and maybe even scared. She already stood here for a couple of minutes, not daring to enter, but knowing she had to. She almost jumped as she heard his voice.  
  
"Why don't you come in Kagura?"  
  
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and slipped inside. Naraku was, as he did mostly, sitting against the wall, his dark hair spilling around his body, his crimson eyes staring at her from under his bangs.  
  
He smirked once, before his voice came floating trough the air, and she winced as she heard it. "Come closer, come closer, don't hesitate, dear..." his expression hardened a bit. "Now tell me what happened. Is Sesshoumaru dead?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Explain"  
  
She started talking, fiddling with her fan to calm her nerves. While she was talking, her father never lost that self confident attitude, but she could see it in his eyes; he was pissed. As she finished, he nodded at her.  
  
"So Lord Sesshoumaru has surprised us all again. Irritating guy, isn't he? Oh well, this only requires another plan..."  
  
She swallowed. "And do you have one?"  
  
He smirked. "I have something in mind, yes. You surely didn't believe I would sit around here for two months, doing nothing? I would be bored out of my mind... You can leave by the way..."  
  
She clutched her fan as he said this, so he had another plan already? But she didn't wait any longer and walked to the door, already glad he didn't punish her. Now that was a miracle... She stopped and stiffened as he called out to her again.  
  
"Kagura...?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I think I forgot something..." she could almost hear him laughing behind her back. "...you failed me, again, and I almost let that escape my attention... that is simply unforgivable, don't you think? But, there is still time to make up for it..."  
  
She was SO screwed.Elven castle, Southern Lands  
  
Kagome came walking up the stairs to her room, as silent as possible, as not to wake Shippou up. She smiled down at him, he was just so adorable as he slept.  
  
Her eyes darkened as she thought back of her conversation with Sango. So Naraku told her it was Sesshoumaru who attacked her village, or at least he had something to do with it? Nonsense, she couldn't believe Sesshoumaru would do such a thing. She told him about it, and it seemed as if he didn't know anything about the matter, but then again, he had that stupid 'mask' of him on, making it impossible to guess what he thought. But that wouldn't stop her, not at all. She would ask him about it, just as she would ask him about this morning. Oh no, he couldn't escape her...  
  
As she reached the top of the stairs, she saw how the subject of her thoughts was leaning against the door of his room, staring at her.  
  
She smiled at him, while she walked towards her room. "Good night, Sesshoumaru" All she wanted now was rest, tomorrow she would ask him all. However, he didn't seem to agree with her.  
  
"I have to talk to you"  
  
It wasn't a question, no it was more something like a demand. A bit irritated, she looked over her shoulder at him. "What about?" No answer. "Fine, just wait a second, ok? I don't want to wake Shippou up"  
  
Ignoring his snort, she walked into her room and placed the little boy on her bed. Carefully, she tucked him in and kissed him on his forehead once. She almost jumped as she heard a voice behind her.  
  
"You act as if he was your own child"  
  
She turned and glared at Sesshoumaru. "I know he isn't, but he has no mother anymore, and now I'll take care of him. You have a problem with that, than just go to your room and leave me alone because I couldn't care less"  
  
He looked amused at her. "A bit of a bad temper I see..."  
  
She huffed, before walking out of the room, closing the door softly and joining him in standing in the hall. "Now what do you want?" He ignored her and instead walked into his room. "What are you doing?" she asked, confused.  
  
He gave her a flat look. "I am not going to stand outside in a hall when I have a room with chairs and a bed to sit on."  
  
She shrugged and followed him inside. He went to stand by the window, and she only hesitated a little before she boldly plumped down on his bed. She was tired, he was keeping her of her sleep, but that didn't mean she had to stand.  
  
A silence fell, and after a minute or so, he still hadn't said anything. She became nervous, and decided to speak. "My mother asked where you were this evening." Silence. "She wanted to thank you for what you did."  
  
"I do not need someone to thank me."  
  
She ignored him and just continued talking. "I explained to them what happened, that it is no trick, you know... There is only one thing I wanted to ask you"  
  
"Spill it, you are wasting my time"  
  
She glared at him. HE ordered her to follow him! "Why Sesshoumaru? Why did you help us?"  
  
An arrogant smirk. "The more elves alive, the more elves who can join in battle and be killed by me. Even I need a challenge sometimes..."  
  
She clenched her fists at her side. The more he said, the angrier she became. And she had a feeling he did this deliberately. "Whatever your reasons were, I'm glad you did it." She looked a bit sad. "It was so horrible..."  
  
"Than perhaps you shouldn't have looked..."  
  
By now, she was painfully digging her fingernails into the palms of her hand. How dare he? But she tried to remain calm. "That was very difficult, being that they walked in right before my eyes, don't you think?"  
  
"If you say so..."  
  
She stiffened as the bed shifted. She realised he was now sitting next to her, and automatically, she scooted a bit away. "What is it?"  
  
He turned to look at her. "Never do that again," he stated.  
  
She blinked. "Do what?"  
  
He sighed. "That stupid action of yours, just this morning."  
  
"You mean... as I jumped in front of you?"  
  
"No, when you jumped BEHIND me," he said with a snort.  
  
Her heart was thumping like mad. Did this mean he was worried about her? Did this mean he actually cared for her, if only a bit? However, her hopes were rapidly shattered as he continued.  
  
"I don't need some stupid wench to get in my way, foolishly believing I need protecting."  
  
She was positively furious now. The nerve! All the time she was here, he had been behaving like this, arrogant, giving answers which he knew would piss her off. Always those calm, arrogant and insulting remarks. Didn't he care? Before she knew it, her hand shot out to his face. Somehow, he hadn't seen it coming, as he didn't block it.  
  
A resounding slap clang as she hit him on the cheek with all the force her tiny little being could muster.  
  
The look of surprise on his face would have been priceless, had the situation been any different. She looked at her hand in shock. Had she really hit him? She never, ever in her entire life thought she could hit someone, and now, she just did it! She clasped a hand before her mouth in shock. "Gomen ne... I'm sorry!"  
  
A growl clang, and before she knew it, he had pinned her to the bed. He was hovering over her, and she swallowed as she saw how his eyes were a deep red colour, with blue irises. She could swear his fangs were a bit longer, and she clutched her eyes in fright.  
  
Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, but immediately regretted it. His face was so close to her, she could feel his breath on her face. His eyes were still red, but he did nothing. He just stared down at her.  
  
Again, her heart was racing. Ever since he stayed with her that night, she would blush if he looked at her like that. She didn't know what it meant, but always if she saw those golden eyes of him, her heart beat would quicken up and she had to avert her eyes.  
  
'Mother once told me, this was exactly how she felt when she first met father... But, they were in love... and I'm not, isn't it? I'm not, right?' she looked at Sesshoumaru again and swallowed. 'It would be a miracle, but could it be... could it be that I'm falling...for him?'  
  
She softly touched his face with her fingers, trailing over his markings there. "Sesshoumaru, would you please let me go? I'm sorry, really, but if you do anything, I will have to throw you of..."  
  
She watched how his eyes slowly lost that red colour, but stiffened again as he leaned closer. She shut her eyes again, what was he doing? She almost jumped as she heart him sigh and whisper in her ear. "...now what am I supposed to do with you...?"  
  
She felt scared, but then, he rolled of her and she let her breath, which she held in, escape. He sat upright, but she still didn't move, she was too scared of what he would do next. She almost screamed as he suddenly grasped her hand. But before she could think anything of it, he pulled her close and wrapped his arm around her waist.  
  
"Why did you do that this morning?" he asked her softly.  
  
She swallowed once, trying with all her being not to blush. "I didn't thought you needed protection. I was just scared you would get killed!" Tears were in her eyes now. "And besides, you are my friend, and friends help each other."  
  
"You didn't really help," he stated flatly.  
  
She sighed and sniffled a bit. "I know, I am a fool. I am sorry for being so irritating."  
  
He hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to look up at him. "You are not irritating," he said, wiping away her tears. She gave him a weak smile. "...but you are infuriating..." her face fell "...and interesting," only to redden. "Who would have thought that sweet little Kagome would slap anyone...?"  
  
"Sesshoumaru," she protested weakly. "I didn't mean to... but you are just so arrogant!"  
  
He shrugged. "If you think so..."  
  
She became angry again, but he must have felt it, as he shook his head. "Relax, I know you are tired. Today has been..." his expression darkened. "... a hard day..."  
  
She nodded meekly as she rested her head on his chest, relaxing in his arms. She had to go back to her room, but she was just so damn tired...  
  
She tried to keep awake, but it was to no avail, as soon, she fell asleep.

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Sesshoumaru just sighed as he looked down at the girl in his arms. As soon as he noticed she fell asleep, he carried her back to her room and gently laid her next to the sleeping kitsune.  
  
He stayed a little longer, staring down on her peaceful sleeping face. She had asked him why he revived those prisoners, but he didn't really answer her, because he didn't know it himself.  
  
All he knew was that he was disgusted with Naraku for pulling of such an act. As he thought before, this had nothing to do with honour. Maybe it was because of that. And it wasn't as if he really cared about a couple of hundred elves being alive again. Probably, he would just kill them in the next battle, who knew? They didn't trouble him, so it didn't really matter to him if they were dead or alive.  
  
«But wasn't there another reason? Perhaps, the same girl were you are staring at now?»  
  
Ah, his subconscious again... maybe it was right, it could be... After all, he admitted to himself he didn't wanted Kagome to cry, and she had cried because of those dead prisoners.  
  
The girl was just plain infuriating. And she even slapped him! Nobody had ever done that, mostly because they knew their life would be over then. But this girl, always kind and gently, just had the guts to slap him. It had surprised him, he had never seen it coming, and his first reaction was anger, real anger.  
  
It disappeared soon enough though, and all he did was staring down at her. He could smell she was afraid of him, and it saddened him a bit. He felt relief as that fear vanished later on.  
  
He bend down and tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear, before going over her lips with his thumb. He began wondering if...  
  
'No!,' he thought. 'No, I am going now. She is just another elf, nothing special at all. I am wasting my time.'  
  
He shook his head and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. To him, things were running out of hand. He was acting foolishly on his instincts instead of listening to common sense. This situation was beginning to get dangerous.  
  
It wouldn't be long anymore before he would be gone from this place.Naraku's castle, Northern Lands  
  
Naraku still sat in his room, quiet while he was thinking. So Sesshoumaru was still alive... Somehow, it didn't surprise him. But sitting still for two months during some truce... no that was nothing for him. True, he wouldn't attack the elves during that truce, but that didn't mean he couldn't begin preparing everything for a new attack.  
  
And while he was busy with that, he still had time to do something else.  
  
"Come in," he said with a smirk as soon as he sensed the youkai outside before the door. The door however didn't open, and he watched with interest how the youkai just walked trough it. Its body was transparent, you could see right trough it, but as soon as it was inside of the room, its body changed back to normal.  
  
"You called for me, my Lord?" it whispered.  
  
"Yes, I did... I have a new task for you...," an evil glint came in his crimson eyes. "I need you to go to the elven castle. There may be a truce now, but that doesn't mean those elves will sit still and do nothing. And neither will I... I need to know how big their army is, all that sort of stuff, you know what I mean... also I want to know how our precious Lord Sesshoumaru is doing...You will be reporting daily to Kagura, and, take your time, you have almost two months..."  
  
The youkai inclined its head. "But if I go in there, don't you want me to get the Shikon no Tama?"  
  
Naraku smirked. "I heard it's been protected quit well, I doubt you would succeed... However, if you happen to come across the Jewel and there is the opportunity to take it..."  
  
The youkai looked at him with a smile. "Yes my Lord?"  
  
"... then take it"

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And another chapter! I must say, I almost fainted as soon as I saw how long it was... and then to think I first didn't know what to write about... hope you like it and everyone thanks for reviewing!  
  
Ioka: I will assure you, I have no death wish at all...  
  
Robin's-hope: Oh yes, my profile... honestly, I always forget those things... well, if I think about it I'll put something on it, ok?  
  
Don't eat yellow snow: Yeah, I would totally freak out... nope, I don't want to think about it...  
  
Mary773: And another fluffy moment!  
  
CometsChaos: And another scene with Tenseiga in it! You must be happy!  
  
Misti Star: Yeah, I know spelling and grammar... sighs I hate it. But hey, you can't steal Sesshoumaru away! He's MINE glares  
  
Lady Lydia: Yes, it was Naraku who destroyed Sango's village, and Sesshoumaru knows it too, only, he didn't tell anyone yet. But, maybe he is reconsidering that... And yes, Kagome will adopt Shippou. Hmmm, it will take some time before they admit it... but I have a feeling you are going to like chapter 14... or maybe 15... (I'm planning something in there you would surely like!)  
  
Satu-chan: Yes, it was that thing from Kagura, however you call it...  
  
BlueDove: I don't understand it either, but fact is, they do believe him. Maybe it's his charm shudders nah, I don't think he has that...  
  
Yuki Tsukiyo: I am afraid I can't say anything about the end yet (hehehe) Maybe Kagome will fight, yes, you'll see, the story isn't finished yet. And yes, now you say it, Kikyou is indeed a bit cold. Maybe that's because I don't really like her. But also, she's a bit different from other elves, colder, you know?


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Realization and a spy

**_Chapter Thirteen: Realization and a spy_**

Elven castle, Southern Lands

Kagome yawned and rubbed her eyes. She felt something move and slowly, she opened one eye. She smiled as she saw Shippou's sleeping face which was turned in her direction. He was sound asleep, his expression peaceful, looking extremely sweet.

Then she frowned. Why had she expected to see something different? Something like... the golden eyes of a certain person?

Abruptly, but carefully as not to wake Shippou up, Kagome sat upright and faced the wall where on the other side that certain person was. She clasped her hands before her face and groaned softly. She remembered everything that happened last night, especially how she felt when she was so close to... to him.

Although she probably understood him better than anyone else, he was still a miracle to her. One moment arrogant, then angry, and then... well... so nice it wasn't normal anymore. At least not for him. Why did he behave like that?

And why did she behave like she did, blushing even if he just looked at her? She told him she thought off him as a friend... Could it be that she lied? Could it be that she was wrong?

Last night, she would've said yes, she was wrong. And now? She didn't know... it wouldn't be a no, but it wouldn't be a yes either.

She stood and changed into a new dress. She realised Sesshoumaru must've brought her here, because the last thing she remembered was being in his room. She was him immensely grateful; what if he hadn't brought her back and Miroku would've walked in again? Or Sango? Or even worse, Kikyou or her own mother? Hell would break loose, that was something she knew for sure.

She closed her eyes and saw Sesshoumaru before her, just like he was last night, with those red eyes, his markings somewhat darker, his fangs longer. What exactly happened when he got angry? Why did his eyes turn red? Really, she didn't know much off youkai, she had only seen it happen a few times with him. Maybe she should ask Sango... No, Sango would only get worried, which wasn't necessarily.

She fingered with the Shikon no Tama, which hung around her neck. She hummed softly, but suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she looked alarmed.

She had seen something just now... A dark shadow, evil eyes... What did this mean? She looked around the room, but nothing was out of the ordinary, the only thing moving was Shippou who rolled on his side. It must've been a vision again. But what did it mean? What was that... shadow, that thing? What did it mean? Was it dangerous?

She shook her head and released the Jewel. Things like this often happened when she touched it. Maybe it meant nothing, but she couldn't forget it, just like she couldn't forget what happened not so long ago when she touched the Jewel. That man she saw then... remembering his image still brought shivers down her spine.

No, she needed to focus on something else. She shouldn't think about it anymore. She shouldn't...

"Kyaaaaa!"

She jumped and yelled as suddenly, something crashed into her and a pair of big eyes was blinking up at her. Then she sighed. "Shippou, you shouldn't scare me like that!"

The little kitsune smiled up at her while looking as sweet as he could. "Sorry Kagome!" he nuzzled a bit closer to her. "But I missed you!"

Kagome frowned. "But I'm right here..."

Shippou sniffled a bit. "I know, but when I woke up I didn't saw you for a moment. I thought you were gone."

She smiled and ruffled trough his hair. "Now don't worry Shippou, I won't leave you. What do you think of getting something to eat? This is going to be a long day, if everything goes right, I expect the other prisoners will arrive today."

Shippou pouted. "So I have to stay in this room the whole day again?"

"Of course..." she saw how he looked sad. "...not!" His face lit up. "Don't worry Shippou, I don't think something will happen now. You can stay with me today. So what about breakfast?"

He jumped out of her arms and she smiled as she saw him running towards the door. She walked after him, expecting to see him running down the stairs, but instead, she stopped as she saw he was standing in the hall, looking up at a certain person which she didn't like seeing right now.

Sesshoumaru.

He ignored the kitsune and instead looked right into her eyes. "I must say I'm getting rather bored of this. How often do I have to tell you not to scream so loud?"

Before she could say anything, Shippou began jumping up and down. "Were you worried? Do you want to protect Kagome?"

She blushed a deep red and suddenly found her feet and the ground to be rather interesting. Wasn't it already bad enough she would blush if she saw him, why did this have to happen too? There was no answer, so she looked up, only to find Sesshoumaru staring intently at her. She immediately averted her gaze and looked at Shippou.

"I'm positive I only waked him up Shippou. Now, shall we go down?" She took the risk and looked at Sesshoumaru briefly. "Your prisoners will probably arrive today. Just so you know."

"I am not stupid."

She glared at him. "I wasn't saying that you were." Why was he one moment so nice, and now so cold? "We are going to watch their arrival, so... see you later I guess."

She quickly scooped Shippou in her arms and walked down the stairs, wanting to get away from his gaze as quickly as possible.

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It was a few hours later and Shippou was with Kagome and probably everyone in the castle down on the courtyard. A patrol had come back to the castle, reporting they saw the expected prisoners heading in their direction. It was expected they would be here soon, so now everyone was waiting again.

He remembered what he had seen yesterday when he stood on the balcony. All those dead people... He looked up at Kagome and he really hoped such a thing wouldn't happen again. He liked this elf so much, he didn't want her to be sad again.

He could clearly remember how every youkai he ever met in his life told him, all elves and humans were bad. But as he stood here now, with Kagome and her friends, he couldn't believe that anymore. They were all so nice... He hoped he would never have to leave this place. First he was a bit scared of Sango and Kagome's sister, but now they were all friendly to him. Kagome told him why they hated youkai, and he felt sorry for both of them, and Kagome too. He was always told youkai were good, but this too, he couldn't believe anymore.

He wondered what he could still believe.

He studied the silver haired youkai who was standing behind Kagome for awhile. Lord Sesshoumaru... What would his father say if he knew he met this taiyoukai? His father didn't like Lord Naraku, he often told him so, but he also told him Lord Sesshoumaru wouldn't be that bad, because his father was convinced Lord Sesshoumaru didn't like Naraku. And if someone didn't like Naraku, that person couldn't be bad in father's eyes.

One of the guards shouted and he could see how everyone's gaze immediately went towards the gates as they opened and the prisoners walked in.

A whole different scenario was now taking place. Instead of having dead people walking into the grounds, this time, everyone was definitely alive.

And it wasn't very difficult to see.

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Forest near the elven castle, Southern Lands

Outside the castle, in the forest, everything was quiet. No birds sang, no animal moved, they all hided, feeling a sudden cold coming trough their living area. If you would look closely, you would see a shadow moving from tree to tree, perfectly blended with the darkness surrounding it, so it was difficult to see.

It was fast, and as it moved, its eyes darted from left to right, looking out for any danger. It moved on and on, until the trees of the forest began to stand wider from each other, indicating the forest would soon end.

The youkai stopped behind a tree, chuckling softly while it gazed at the castle lying in front of him. For once, he felt like his master had given him an interesting assignment. Normally, Naraku would just send him after Lord Kouga, but spying on that wolf had appeared to be quit... well... boring... The only thing he witnessed was the wolf's arrogant behaviour, but nothing important was to tell from him.

And now, surprisingly, his master sended him to spy on the elves. Oh he knew most efforts of former spies to come into the castle had failed, but then again, they weren't exactly the best in their jobs, according to his opinion. But he... he would succeed, he was sure of that.

In contrast with others, he had rather... special... abilities, which he would use as much as he could. Thinking about that, he gazed at the rather thick walls. He knew other spies would have much difficulty with just these walls, but he, oh no... walls were nothing to him, nothing. He looked at the guards walking on those walls, and shook his head. These too, would proof to be no problem.

Suddenly, his head shot up as he heard a sound in the distance. The sound of various people coming this way. He stayed were he was, hidden between the trees and in the shadows. He didn't have to wait long, as soon, a group consisting of both humans and elves appeared. Their clothes were old and they looked tired. Nothing special for humans, he noted, but elves always had these mysterious auras around them, and this unnatural beauty. They were still beautiful, but they looked bad.

Then he grinned. This would be the prisoners Naraku had told him about. Now he could just walk trough those walls, but what was life without a bit of fun?

His eyes glided over the group again, studying them, how they looked, how they walked, behaved... He chuckled softly and closed his eyes, concentrating. He felt how his body began to change, slowly but steadily...

A few minutes later, out of the shadows stepped not a youkai, but an elf.

Elven castle, Southern Lands

Kagome laughed along with everyone else once they realized that this time, nothing was wrong. Soon, people were running everywhere, trying to find family, friends, and so on. Everyone was hugging each other, laughter could be heard and happy faces been seen.

She smiled as she saw how her friends and family too went to welcome everyone. Shippou looked up at her and she smiled at him. She suddenly remembered who was standing behind her, and in her happiness, she didn't think about it but just lunged herself at Sesshoumaru and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you Sesshoumaru! I knew you wouldn't do such a thing as Naraku did!"

A soft cough. "As far as I know, I didn't do anything but enlighten you all with my presence here."

Still, she felt how he hugged her back, and now realizing what she was doing, she quickly let go and laughed nervously. "Anyway, I suspect your brother would listen to you, or do whatever you would've wanted him to do, so this means you wouldn't do such a thing... Arggg, I don't care, I'm just happy!"

Waving at him, she picked a wide eyed Shippou up and sprinted away, too embarrassed to stay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as he was inside, he slipped away unnoticed, hiding in the shadows again while studying the scene before him. It was fun to slip inside the castle this way, instead of just walking trough walls as he so often did. Kami knew he needed a change on his jobs, and this one proved to be just that. But, to him, it wasn't fun to get hugged by almost everyone present. He may look like those prisoners, but he certainly wasn't such a hysterical, sentimental elf... no way...

His eyes travelled trough the crowd, looking for the queen, her daughters and the taiyoukai. Lower servants weren't of any importance to him.

He didn't have to search long to find the queen. She was standing between everyone, but with his experience, he noticed the way she stood there, so elegant, not hunched over like someone who would do heavy work, with expensive clothes, and that voice of her clearly had authority. He studied her for a moment, but then decided he would look at her later on.

Then, his eyes catched silver hair. Quickly he looked that way and almost grinned at what he saw. Lord Sesshoumaru... oh yes he knew him. Naraku had sent him after the taiyoukai once, confident that he would succeed on spying on the taiyoukai. He himself had been rather confident too, he must admit. Only, he didn't even succeed in getting into his castle. So, he only saw the taiyoukai on other jobs of him.

'_Well, Naraku wanted to know how Lord Sesshoumaru was doing, and judging on what I see, I think he's enjoying himself quit a lot,'_ he thought as he saw how the taiyoukai was just busy hugging someone. _'I wonder who it is...'_

Just then, the girl broke away and turned. Judging by the face, he wouldn't have recognised her, although he almost immediately noted she must've been someone highborn too. But the next thing he saw made it clear to him who exactly she was.

The Shikon no Tama.

'_Well well,'_ he chuckled. _'I wonder what my master would say if he knew this... Lord Sesshoumaru and the youngest princess... together...' _

He almost blinked as he suddenly felt like he was drawn to her. Or no, not to her, but the Jewel around her neck. He growled, damn it, why did every youkai in this world have to be after that thing. That way, it was nearly impossible to get... _'Oh yes, I'm just some tool for the next youkai who's after it. If my master gets it, I won't get any benefit for it. Anyway, it's almost impossible to get, or so they say. Maybe it is, IF she keeps it around her neck all the time... oh well, time will prove if she does or not. As Naraku said, I have LOTS of time...'_

As the girl ran away, the strange feeling disappeared too, making it possible for him to concentrate properly again. Soon, he spotted another girl, almost similar to the other one. But he could clearly see how different her character was in the way she acted, and in her eyes. Also, he recognised her from earlier jobs, as in contrast with her sister, she would leave the castle very often.

This was Kikyou, the eldest princess and leader of the army.

A wicked grin began to form on his face. His master wanted to know in what state their army was... good, he would find out...

As she left along with another woman, he followed them silently, staying in the shadows, unnoticed by anyone. Not even the elves sensed his presence, as he made sure they couldn't.

Oh yes, Lord Naraku would get a VERY detailed report...

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As Kagome ran away from Sesshoumaru with Shippou in her arms, she decided to go to her room. But she stopped suddenly, looking around. She had felt something... a strange feeling, which she knew from somewhere... Oh yes, that dark shadow she saw this morning, she felt the same way now. She looked around, but saw nothing special, just elves and humans, nothing strange.

She began walking again, concentrating on that strange feeling, a feeling as if something was there, something that shouldn't be there...

Eventually, she shrugged it aside as something unimportant.

XLater that dayX

Forest near the elven castle, Southern Lands

At the edge of the forest, hidden in the shadows so that no guards would see her, a dark haired woman sat on a huge feather which hovered just above the ground. Her face wore an expression of both boredom and annoyance. She seemed to be relaxed, but if you looked closely, you could see she was idling with her fan, snapping it open and close again and again, a bit of an unnatural wind beginning to form on this spot. A guard would later complain how windy it was while he stood guard, while everyone else reported it was calm.

Kagura huffed once while she glared at the elven castle, willing it to go away, just so that she too could leave this place. Why Naraku had sent her to hear the spy's report was beyond her. Usually if he sent her anywhere, it involved killing someone. A sound left her throat, and one could swear it was a growl.

Without any warning, suddenly a voice spoke from behind her. "I know I should not complain, but it appears my master has sent me a rather... angry person. May I know what annoys you?"

Kagura stifled a gasp as she almost tumbled off her feather. It was only due to her perfect reflexes (Naraku used this kind of approach a lot) that she could regain her balance. She brought up her fan and turned at the dark shadow standing behind her. "Certainly you may know! What bothers me, are YOU! I swear, if you ever pull that stunt again, I'll rip your head of!"

The spy chuckled softly. "Silence my dear, or they will hear us..." he studied her. "I don't recall seeing you on this sort of job before..."

A snort. "Doesn't matter; just tell me what the hell you saw so I can leave."

It nodded at her. "Very well. I made sure to study the castle thoroughly, and the army. It appears the elves are using the truce to train some new soldiers."

"Indeed... they must sense Naraku is planning something..."

"Or, they simply NEED it..."

A sigh. "I don't bother why they do... whatever they do. Just tell me everything."

It began telling her all it saw, how big the army was, how many weapons they had, in what condition the castle was, everything. As it fell silent, Kagura shrugged. "Well, then I'll be leaving to report our DEAR Lord Naraku your interesting discoveries. Oh, one thing, what about the Shikon no Tama?"

It didn't answer for awhile. Then it began speaking, almost hesitatingly. "I would say, it is VERY hard to get. The youngest princess carries it all the time, and mostly there are a lot of people around her. And, you'll never guess who's closest to her at this very moment..."

She frowned but didn't answer. She didn't know, but she wouldn't guess as he would tell her anyway.

"Lord Sesshoumaru"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"When I arrived, almost the first thing I saw was a nice little scene in which our dear ally HUGGED the youngest princess. In the following time, I found out she has ordered upon his arrival here to put him in the room next to hers, which is up in the Southern Tower. It wasn't difficult to find out they seem to be friendly with each other. If I didn't hear it from servants, talking under each other, I would see it myself."

Kagura shrugged. "Probably he's just trying to get something from her... Something like the Shikon no Tama. If she would trust him, it wouldn't be difficult for him to kill her and flee, especially when they are all alone up in that tower..."

"Yes, that could be..."

"Well," Kagura straighten herself and gave the spy a stern look. "Anything else which is important enough for me to stay here?"

She heard a soft chuckle as the youkai answered her. "I don't know, do you like parties?"

She rolled her eyes and waved her fan before its head. "Of course not! What the hell are you talking about?! Remember, I can still kill you..."

Now, she was sure she heard him laugh. "Nothing, it's just, in a couple of days there will be a big party here, or so I heard when I was walking around..."

She snorted and made sure her face was in a flat expression. "Seeing as you already begin to ramble about..." she looked over her shoulder towards the castle, her eyes flashing in anger. "...PARTIES..." she looked back again. "... I doubt you have anything interesting to say..."

She blinked once, as she noticed she was talking into thin air. Where had the blasted idiot gone? Oh, why did she even care, this meant she could get out of here. With a grin she flew up in the air and looked with satisfaction how the castle got smaller and smaller in her view.

She sighed once and began to chew on her fingernails, something she only did when she was deep in thought, or nervous. She was supposed to report everything to Naraku, but she had a feeling she should keep quiet about what the spy saw from Lord Sesshoumaru.

She always suspected that the cold taiyoukai hated Naraku. The way he always looked at him, always so thoughtful and with annoyance. She could still remember how Sesshoumaru never showed any interest in the Shikon no Tama, and as far as she knew, he still hadn't changed his opinion on that. But, she also suspected something else, namely that Sesshoumaru wanted to prevent Naraku from getting the Jewel.

And if Sesshoumaru was now trying to get the Jewel from that girl, she wouldn't stop him, she was almost certain of it, he would never give the Jewel to her father. It was a risk she took, but she would hope he got it. But that also meant, she shouldn't tell her father of this, or else he would go after Sesshoumaru.

Question was, wouldn't Naraku see right trough her if she lied to him?

XA few days laterX

Elven castle, Southern Lands

Up in her room, Kagome was nervously looking at her reflection in the mirror. She frowned and without noticing began chewing on her lower lip. She sighed and decided to go for it.

"Well Shippou, how do I look?"

She turned to see the young kitsune staring up at her in awe. "K-Kagome, you... you're..."

She smiled and made a gesture with her hand. "I know, I know, it looks bad, so I'll go and change again."

Shippou shook his head and shrieked. "N-no, this is just... fabulous. You're so pretty!"

She blushed and looked warily in the mirror again. "Really...?" she asked in a high pitched voice. She wore a low-necked, long red dress with long sleeves, which left her shoulders bare. Around her neck glistered the Shikon no Tama in the spare light. Her hair was done in a knot with a few strands loose. She wore no other jewels, she only had a small diadem in her hair which her father gave her when she was younger.

To Shippou, she looked like a goddess. "Really!" he answered. "Everyone will be jealous off Lord Sesshoumaru!"

She frowned at him and he gulped at the gaze she sent him. "Shippou... what's that supposed to mean?"

"W-well, you are going with him to the party, aren't you?"

She sighed and looked at the wall, wishing she could just see trough it. Tonight, there would be another party to celebrate that all their friends and family were finally save at home again. But she didn't know if Sesshoumaru would come... she was afraid to see him, as she always felt embarrassed these days, but she hadn't seen him for awhile, as she was busy with checking the prisoners over, but she knew that deep down, she hoped he would be there, although that would be a miracle. She could still remember how he thought about the last party.

"I don't think so Shippou..." she sighed. "There was a party before, and he didn't really like it then." She saw how Shippou pouted a bit and she smiled at him. The little kitsune absolutely adored the elder youkai, constantly trying to ask him things, or looking up at him with admiration. "We'll just go, and who knows, maybe he'll turn up!"

Shippou nodded at her, and together, they left.

XA few hours laterX

Everything was silent in the castle, the rooms were deserted, nobody was inside. Even in the gardens nobody walked around, only the courtyard was full of people.

Kagome looked around at all the happy people around her who were celebrating. She sat to the side, away from everyone, Miroku and Sango were dancing, Kikyou and her mother were sitting somewhere else. Shippou was with her, but he was now surrounded by a group of elves who were all asking him things, commenting on how sweet he was, giving him something to eat. She could see he enjoyed himself, so she just sat down to watch in peace.

Sesshoumaru still hadn't shown up. She had sensed him up in his room when she and Shippou left, and she imagine he didn't really fancy going to a party. She also knew how much he hated it if she would use magic to get him here, so she didn't even thought about using a spell again.

She looked contently at all the decorations she had hung up with a few servants and hummed a bit with the music. She stiffened as she suddenly heared a voice behind her.

"It seems elves are rather fond of organising parties."

She turned and looked behind her. How could it be she didn't notice him? He was standing there, in the shadows, out of the light's reach, looking intently at her, as if screening her over. She noticed how she blushed again, but he didn't say anything, just stood there. She patted on a spot next to her and noticed he was following every move she made. "Please Sesshoumaru, sit down!" she invited him.

He walked towards her and sat down, as elegant and graceful as ever. She looked at his profile for a moment out of the corner of her eyes as he looked at all the other people around. "I didn't thought you would actually come," she blurted out. "I recall you telling me how awful the stench of us all is so you couldn't bear it."

Without moving even an inch, he said something which made her believe he went insane. "The stench is indeed horrible, but... yours is pleasant enough to forget the others."

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She realised she was staring shamelessly at him and said something not so intelligent. "Ow..."

Had she really heard this right? Sesshoumaru, the cold taiyoukai, just said he liked her scent? This was not real, this was a dream. Yep, a dream it was.

A silence fell again, until Sesshoumaru decided to speak. "Maybe I should go and sit somewhere else."

She stared at him. "W-why? I myself asked you to sit here..."

"It has nothing to do with you, but rather with your friend. I don't think she likes me sitting here, judging by the furious look she gives me. Who knows, maybe she is going to attack me again..."

She saw how he smirked a bit and followed his gaze to see how Sango was watching his moves and glaring at his close proximity to her. "No way, she's only a bit careful, she has no real reason to attack you."

"As far as I know, the last time she had no reason too."

Kagome face got a more angry expression. "Oh, she had a reason, believe me..."

"What, that rubbish about her village?"

She turned to glare at the impassive taiyoukai next to her. "Yes, exactly! She spoke to Naraku, and he told her you had something to do with it. It was horrible for her, she lost everyone she loved, she isn't it logical she wants to know who did this and take revenge?"

He snorted and now turned towards her, looking in her eyes. "I told her I have nothing to do with it."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "There is still something... I believe it wasn't you, but you do know something about it, don't you? Please Sesshoumaru, if you know anything about it, tell me!" He looked thoughtful at her, and she could almost imagine him thinking and considering if he should tell her, if he could trust her enough... "If it is someone you don't want to get hurt, I promise, I won't tell Sango who it was, that way, she can't take any revenge..."

She saw how an amused look came on his face. "You don't need to promise anything..." he chuckled softly. "... I think I know who did it, but I wouldn't mind at ALL if your dear friend would go on a rampage."

She held in her breath and looked pleadingly at him. "Who Sesshoumaru? Who is it?"

"Who else than our dear Lord Naraku?" she gasped, but he continued anyway. "He told me about a taiji village, and he said he had taken care of it... which in his language means he certainly didn't embrace those people, if you know what I mean..."

Again, she was staring at him, but somewhere in her head, a small voice said how obvious it was, who else than Naraku could have done such a thing? "Sesshoumaru?" she whispered, and she saw he was still looking at her. "...does Naraku... did he... did he ever talked to you about... you know... when he killed my father?"

She bowed her head, avoiding the fierce look in his eyes then and waited for him to answer, but seconds passed, and still, he hadn't spoken at all. She looked up again, and blinked as she saw him looking... worried?.... at her. "Sesshoumaru?"

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" he asked.

She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Yes, I want to know, don't worry, I can take it..."

"I wasn't there when he killed your father, I didn't see it..." his eyes narrowed. "... but, he did tell me about it. Came banging into my room, showing up about it. No need to tell you how disgusted I was... Oh I wouldn't mind at all if your friend would go on some quest to kill him..."

She bowed her head again, tears beginning to form but she fought them back. No, she wouldn't cry, not now, this was a time to celebrate, her father died long ago, there was nothing to do about it now. But that Naraku even showed up about the killing, it made her shiver and angry in once. She clenched her fists and reprimanded herself. What would Sesshoumaru think of her? All he ever saw was her crying, poor little Kagome, always the weak one... No, she would stand firm, she would...

"Lady Kagome?" She looked up to see a young elf smiling at her. "Would you like to dance?"

He stretched his hand out to her, and she stared at it for a moment, wondering what a hand was, what dancing was... she shook her head and scolded herself again. This was not the time to get all confused, and besides, a bit of dancing would maybe take her thoughts somewhere else. She looked at the boy again, and smiled, ready to take his hand, when she heard a growl to her side.

She blinked once, before looking at Sesshoumaru with a glare. Why did he have to growl? The boy however looked with scared eyes at the taiyoukai, who was giving him a murderous glare, and eventually, he backed away.

"Thanks a lot Sesshoumaru!" she snapped at him. "Why did you have to scare him away like that? I want to dance a bit, and now I can't to that anymore, everyone else is already dancing!"

He ignored her little rant, and instead took her hand and tugged her after him. She let a little noise of surprise, but followed anyway and as he stopped when they were facing all the dancing couples, she frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

He raised one single eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to dance?"

Her jaw dropped as she looked at him. Sesshoumaru, the almighty youkai lord, wanted to dance with HER?!

Her thoughts shattered, all she could do was nod, but he didn't even wait for her to do that, instead, he took her one hand and laid his other arm around her waist, leading her into the crowd. She got a small glance of Sango and Miroku, with Shippou on his shoulders, all looking surprised at them, and she briefly noted to warn Miroku that he shouldn't teach Shippou anything about his antics, but she quickly forgot about them.

Who had ever thought Sesshoumaru could dance? But he could, and he was even good at it. As they danced, Kagome forgot the whole world around them, all she saw were his golden eyes which were looking calmly at her. All she felt was where he touched her, and her heart which was racing.

Suddenly, his face got closer to hers and she shuddered as he whispered in her ear. "Did I ever tell you how great you look?"

This was a dream.

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Everyone was celebrating, no one, not even a single bird saw the dark shadow moving trough the gardens. But everywhere around it, all was silent, because the animals did feel it as a sudden chill.

The youkai stood still for a moment, listening to all the noise and music, and it groaned. The job was a BIG change indeed. Never did he saw so many parties, and the people around here... He had been here for a couple of days now, and everywhere, the only thing he saw were humans or elves, nothing else. Once, he disguised himself as an elf again, but after he got hugged by some weird woman who believed he was her son, he decided, it was enough. Brrr, really, that was the worst thing he ever had to experience.

He was on his way to report to that woman again, and it didn't make him happy. Somehow, they didn't like each other, and every time, she threatened to kill him and he would drive her insane with his stupid comments.

On his way, he came pretty close to the ongoing party, so he decided to take a look. Who knew, maybe there was something important to see, although he doubted it. But, as he was looking on, he suddenly caught a flash of silver, and immediately, he took in the scene before him.

Lord Sesshoumaru, and that princess, dancing and looking deeply in each others eyes.

Chuckling, he moved away from all those people and continued on his way out. Now, this was something that would interest his master...

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To Kagome, it felt like an age, but it was only a few minutes until the song ended. Applause clang, another song began, and for a moment, she stood there, not sure what to do, what Sesshoumaru wanted. She was staring at her feet, but as she looked up, he was looking at her, and she felt how she blushed again.

But when they danced, and when they were so close, yet again, she realized something. She came to a conclusion, she became aware of something, and she needed to think of it.

Quickly, she faked a yawn and gave him a smile. "Sorry, but I'm so tired, I think I'm going to bed. Would you tell Shippou were I am?"

Wasting no more time, she ran away, leaving a slightly stunned Sesshoumaru.

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He was close to the wall and just prepared to walk trough it, as he heard soft footsteps behind him. Quickly, in the blink of an eye, he was standing in the shadows of a tree, invisible to anyone who would pass. He didn't have to wait long, because soon, a girl came walking pass him, humming to herself and apparently lost in thought.

He cursed the stupid elf for distracting him and hoped she would be gone soon, so he could just report to the wind sorceress and disappear again. But the girl walked a bit further and than sat down under another tree and gazed up at the stars.

It was then, it the light of the moon, that he saw it.

The Shikon no Tama.

Immediately, he felt the same urge as when he first came here, as if the Jewel called to him, and he discovered he had taken a step forwards. He heard of this, all youkai were drawn to the Jewel, and this had to be that effect. His dark eyes looked at the tiny thing with a wicked glint in them, and he smiled.

Why not?

Always, he had been under someone's charge, there was always someone more powerful than him, someone who thought he could order him around. Someone like his master, for instance. And even though his master could kill him easily, the idea didn't disappear.

What if he would take the Jewel for himself?

He would get incredibly powers, and his master would be nothing compared to him. He would rule instead, and the Jewel, that powerful item, would be his, and his alone. This was his opportunity, he could sense how powerful this girl was, but against his abilities, she couldn't win. And now, there was no one around to help her.

But, he had to get close to her. He would take no risk and injure her immediately, so that she couldn't defend herself properly. But how, how would he do that? He thought about it for awhile, all the time feeling that pull growing, and than, he got an idea.

Kagura could wait for awhile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She was sitting on the ground, looking at the stars when she saw the moon, and the face of a certain person came floating before her face.

Sesshoumaru.

She had realized something back at the party, when they danced. She just knew it, the instant she looked into his eyes. It didn't matter to her that he was a youkai, that he was so cold, because she thought it made him special. And besides, he wasn't that worse anymore. No, he had been so nice to her, and in fact, she had felt it all along, but didn't realize what it was. But now, she knew it.

She loved him.

A single tear came down her face as she though about that. Even now she realized it, she also knew it was impossible. It didn't matter to HER he was a youkai, but it mattered to the rest of this world, where youkai and elves were mortal enemies, and something like this would be impossible. And further, he would never like her, not in that way. Her mother was probably right; if he had been free, he would've acted differently towards her than he did now.

She heard a sound close to her, and gasped at the person she saw.

Sesshoumaru.

Did he follow her? He looked warmly at her, but he didn't speak as he spread his arms, as if inviting her to hug him, to come to him, to... She stood and began walking towards him, as she felt it again. The same feeling as when she touched the Jewel a few days ago, the same feeling as when the prisoners arrived.

'_Stop,'_ she thought. _'Something is wrong here. This feeling... and Sesshoumaru acting all weird...'_ she looked up at him again and than realized something and took a step back. _'This is not him...'_

"Who are you?" she heard herself ask in a high voice, fear evident in it.

"I am Lord Sesshoumaru, who else should I be?" he answered.

But still, she felt weird, and she didn't trust it. "No," she began. "...you are NOT Sesshoumaru..."

Suddenly, he disappeared and she blinked, but then, she let out a scream as she felt pain, incredible pain... She looked down, and saw a hand with claws attached to a wrist with two markings on it which dug into her side. "Are you sure?" a voice whispered in her ear. "Are you sure this is not something you wish for, something you want to believe? Who says I'm not Sesshoumaru?"

"You are not him!" she grunted out. "He would never do such a thing!"

"Mmmm..." a soft chuckle. "... perhaps not... you seem to be very close... Oh well, now you seem to see right trough me, I might as well give it up. It was fun though... oh go on, you can scream as much as you want, with all that noise you elves make, I doubt someone will hear you..."

Her hand began to glow blue, and she quickly turned and throw a blast at the creature, which looked still like Sesshoumaru, but it had disappeared again, and she looked around, panicked, and everytime she heard something, she threw another blast. She tried to sense it, but it was impossible.

How was she supposed to get out of here alive?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sesshoumaru stayed a little longer at the party, but without Kagome, he found it pretty boring, so he decided to go to his room. When they danced... he hated to admit, but he liked it. His pride forbade him to admit it aloud, but it was true.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he sensed something. A strange feeling, and for a second, he could swear he sensed a youkai nearby. Instinctively, he began walking towards it, when he saw a blue light in the distance.

His mind was working quickly now. He had no doubt now there was indeed a youkai, and that blue light would be Kagome.

What was going on here?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

She kept throwing some energy blasts around, but every now and then, she got hit by that creature. It was either very fast, or invisible, as she couldn't sense it, nor see it. She had nothing to defend her except her power, but of what use was that, if she couldn't see her target?

She had screamed a few times, but she knew it was right, no one would hear her. For awhile, nothing happened, but she kept looking around, her right hand glowing in a blue light. Suddenly, a blow hit her from behind, and she collapsed to her knees.

Then, it became visible again, still looking like Sesshoumaru, and it approached her. In a last attempt to defend herself, she threw up a barrier, but it only smirked.

"Oh come on, barriers are no problem for me...," it came closer and closer. "... now why don't you give me that Jewel, I will kill you anyway, maybe then I will make it less painful..."

"No! I promised to guard it, and I will never give it to you!" she yelled at it.

It only shrugged. "Be it that way. Now, let's get that nice little barrier of yours down, shall we?"

Her eyes widened, and tears came into them. This was it. Nobody was here to save her, she had screwed it up, despite being so powerful, she had failed to protect the Jewel. This creature was just to fast for her. Maybe, if she had been more skilled in fighting like her sister, or Sango... but no, there was no hope now.

She closed her eyes in fright, and only one name came over her lips. She only thought about one person...

"Sesshoumaru..."

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To everyone, I'm sooooooo sorry for taking so long... Just to make things clear, no, I don't have a bad case of writers block, and no, my computer is all fine, and no, I wasn't away during the holidays... but yes, I did have a HUGE row with my mother, and it's entirely my own fault, I know, but the result was, the computer was ABSOLUTELY off limit for me... is crying BUT, I behaved, and so I was allowed to type my new chapter and post it for you all... after something about three weeks... I'm so sorry, once I saw all the reviews and emails begging me to update... and I'm sorry again, but I don't know when I will be able to type my next chapter... my mother's still angry... Oh and one thing, after the holidays, every week, I have to go to school for about 38 hours, which means long days, and at evenings I'm busy too, so I will be slower in future with new chapters... sorry about that...

**Lady Lydia:** They will figure it out soon who killed Sessshoumaru's father. It will be a Sango/Miroku, yes, and Kagome already half adopted Shippou, she cares for him now, later on he will probably see her as his surrogate mother. As to what Sess will do with the spy, well, you have to wait for the next chapter to get the answer on that one...

**Why:** I don't know, maybe they want a change? I personally think Sesshoumaru/Kagome is not that bad...

**Robin's-hope: **Don't worry, you don't sound like a stalker to me... sigh... I guess it took me somewhat more than just a few seconds for this chapter, isn't it?

**WanderingSpirit: **Kikyou isn't going to kill Shippou or Sesshoumaru anytime soon... maybe they'll get a fight, I don't know yet... It will be a long story, so yeah, who knows? I'll see what I'm going to write...

**Mistic UV: **Kagome realized it, and Sesshoumaru will follow soon...

**Phyllis Nodrey:** I know, no one shoots the almighty Lord Sesshoumaru!!! Hehe, I just felt like I needed a change from that golden rule... is on her knees for Sesshoumaru forgive me for my boldness, oh Lord... (yeah right)... snickers

**Duzzie: **I'll check on the story you mentioned, if I have time for it...

**DarkPyroPlanet: **wow, that was a loooooooong review (don't worry, I LOVE such reviews) And yes, the fluff will come, I'm just taking my time... I'm sorry if that part in chapter 8 was a bit vague, don't know myself how I got to it, my only excuse is that it was somewhere in the middle of the night when I wrote it, but fact is, it is right. And of course, elves don't actually smell, that's just Sesshoumaru being stubborn as always...

**DemonWicca:** Now I could keep you in the dark, but I'll just tell you this, I absolutely HATE bad endings... it makes me so sad... I read a story once, in which Kagome ended up marrying Naraku in the end, I think I was kinda depressed after I read that one...

**MizuiroSnow:** Yes, the youkai can make himself invisible, if he wants to...

**Daniel: **Oh well, maybe they will have their little fun... sorry to disappoint you though, but no, I'm not going to write a lemon, simply because I'm not good at it and it doesn't really interest me to write such a thing...

**White Plum: **Yes, I'm waiting for the right moment... and you have absolutely NO idea how mean I'm going to be with this... but, don't worry, you won't have to wait that long anymore...

I didn't have time to answer anything else, so I just want to thank everyone who reviewed (and there were a lot reviews) and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Oh, and I think everyone is going to like the next chapter... I won't tell anything, but, something will happen where most of you have been waiting for! (I think you know what I mean)


	14. Chapter Fourteen: A lot of thinking and ...

_**Chapter Fourteen: A lot of thinking... and a decision**_

On the courtyard, the party was still going on. Miroku was sitting next to Sango, the little kitsune on his shoulder, and he felt very happy for once. He had been here next to Sango all evening now, they even danced, and she had only hit him... what... twice or something? That had to be a record. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled a bit. His Sango...

"Miroku?"

He looked at Sango who was looking with an angry expression at him. "Can you tell me how my best friend got insane enough to go and dance with Lord Sesshoumaru?"

He smiled at her, his eyes getting a dreamy expression in them. "But my Lady, don't you want to talk about something else? What about a dance?" She narrowed her eyes at him and he gulped. "Okay, okay, I don't get it why you are worried, it's just a dance, everybody dances!"

"It's because I don't really trust him... what if he wants to harm her?"

They both startled as they heard Shippou speak up. "Sesshoumaru wouldn't hurt Kagome! Just this morning, I accidentally scared her so that she screamed, and he was worried because of that!"

Miroku nodded at the kitsune, remembering the scene he saw not so long ago. "I agree with you, either he's a good actor, or he indeed doesn't want to harm her."

Sango stared at him. "What makes you think that?"

He smiled and waved with his hand. "Nothing really, nothing!"

"Miroku..."

"It's just that he healed her once!" he quickly said, remembering how he promised Kagome not to tell anyone about what he saw. "He wouldn't have done that if he wanted to harm her!"

Sango turned her head and looked at the crowd again. "Maybe, but I'm still worried... Where did they go anyway?"

"How do you mean?"

"I don't see them anymore..."

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"Sesshoumaru..."

She heard herself whisper his name as if she was a stranger who was looking on. She heard the youkai chuckle as he heard her, and a single tear fell down her cheek. She made a few weak steps away from the approaching youkai, clutching the wounds he gave her. She looked around, thinking about throwing another attack his way. But no, she needed all her energy for this barrier, and he would simply dodge it.

She gasped as the youkai got closer and closer, and finally, it just stepped trough the barrier. Her eyes widened, and she took another step back but she knew it wouldn't help. She stiffened as she felt its claws touch her as it lifted her face up. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw how it lifted its other claw, ready to strike, and she kept her right hand hidden, which began glowing blue. She would try to hit it, now it thought there was no danger anymore.

She began to raise her hand, and to her relief, the youkai still didn't notice. But then, all of the sudden, it disappeared, just like that. She blinked, but it was true, its claws didn't touch her anymore and she didn't saw it.

Slowly, she looked to her right, but no, nothing. Then, she looked to her left... and froze.

Oh no, there it was again. The youkai stood a few feet away from her, staring at her with no emotion in its eyes. It began walking, and she instinctively raised her hand further. She didn't know why it went away and came at her again, but she didn't bother, all that mattered was that she would destroy it.

She saw it frown and then it spoke. "Kagome?"

She began to get angry. Did it really think she would fall for this? She saw right trough it, why did it yet again try to imitate Sesshoumaru? "I said you won't get it!" she yelled. "You will never get the Jewel, and I won't let you kill me!"

Waiting no longer, she threw another blast at it, one which was weaker than normal, but still would cause it some damage, if she only hit it. But, as expected, it dodged and came even closer. It reached out for her, and she took another step back, but it was of no use. She clutched her eyes in fright and waited for the blow to come, but... it never came.

She felt how two hands grasped her shoulders and how she was shaken back and forth. "Elf, what are you talking about? Does dancing with you also mean killing you?"

She stiffened as she suddenly realised something. This voice, this coldness... this was the real Sesshoumaru! With a cry, she took a step forward and lunged herself at him. "Sesshoumaru, I was so scared! Where did it go?"

He took her arms and detangled them from around his waist, holding her at a distance. "For the second time, what are you talking about?"

She looked panicked at him, tears in her eyes. Hadn't he seen it? "I... I was attacked... by you... or no, not you, but..."

"What rubbish is this?" he was looking annoyed, as though he didn't believe her. "I didn't attack anybody. But tell me, did you sense a youkai too?"

She nodded at him. "Yes, that's what I'm trying to tell you. That youkai..."

"... would be me."

She stiffened. Oh no, not again? But as she looked over Sesshoumaru shoulder, she knew it was true. It didn't go away, and as Sesshoumaru turned, he saw a perfect imitation of himself standing there.

She saw how his eyes widened a bit, before he quickly pushed her behind him. She saw how he straightened himself to his full length, looking at the youkai with murder in his eyes.

"And who, may I ask, would dare imitating ME, Lord Sesshoumaru? Speak quickly, for I will kill you either way, and I am not used to wait."

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He was talking in a calm and cold manner with the youkai, but on the inside, his mind was working at top speed and rage was beginning to build inside him. He put two and two together, and realized this youkai had attacked Kagome, probably demanding the Shikon no Tama. And all the time, it was imitating HIM. Not only was this an offending to his pride, but he also discovered he felt uncontrollable rage at the thought that Kagome would've thought he really attacked her. Somehow, he didn't want her to think that, but it had happened, and for that, the youkai would die.

It smirked at him, right into his face, and he concluded this guy had to be crazy. No one dared to behave like that in front of him. Probably, the presence of the Jewel had clouded its mind. There was no way it could win from him, it should've left while it still could, but no, it didn't run for its life but still went after the Jewel, even when Kagome wasn't alone anymore.

"Who I am is not important. And I doubt you would kill me. You see, this powerful young lady hasn't succeed, so why would you? All I want is the Jewel, as I already told the girl."

He kept looking at the youkai while he addressed Kagome. "Is it true, did your attacks failed?"

She answered him in a timid voice. "He was either too quick, or invisible. I couldn't hit him..."

So it was quick... well, he was quick too. And if it would be invisible, he could probably still sense it. He still didn't look as he spoke to her again. "Stand aside and let me do this. If he approaches you, just defend yourself. I'll finish him off."

"B-but... how will I know it's not you? I can't see it so quickly. I could hit you!"

He narrowed his eyes at the youkai, checking it over for some mistake... that's when it hit him. "Kagome," he began, dropping his voice so only she would hear him. "... do you see the pelt on his shoulder? I totally forgot about it, but the truth is, I lost it at the last battle. So if he wears a pelt, you can attack him, it's not me."

He could almost imagine her nodding, but he didn't wait any longer as he drew Toukijin and rushed after the youkai. It dodged his attack, and he noticed that indeed, it was very quick. But, he was quick too...

They began battling, and he soon noticed, the youkai only had his claws which it used to fight. It dodged Toukijin's attacks, but he was catching up, and he only needed to strike it with the sword once, and it would be dead for sure.

It dodged yet another attack, and prepared to attack him, but using his speed, he stood behind the youkai within seconds and striked him with Toukijin. This would have been the end... if it had been any other.

To his surprise, the youkai's body became transparent, and the sword went right trough it without causing any damage. He heard Kagome gasp, and he himself frowned. Damn, this meant his claws wouldn't work too. Now how to kill this youkai?

It turned to face him, and he watched how an ugly smile came at its face. On HIS face, and it was so weird to see himself smile, even if it was wicked. "I told you you couldn't kill me. I'm not like other youkai..."

A low growl left his throat. "That may be, but I'm different too. I am a taiyoukai, and much more powerful than little weaklings like you."

"I don't care how powerful you are...," he watched how the youkai's gaze went to Kagome. "... I only want the Jewel, and once I have it, I will even win from you..." it looked amused at him. "...why don't you take the Jewel? That's the only reason why you are behaving so friendly towards her, isn't it? You are waiting for your golden chance, for when she trusts you. And than, you'll kill her and take the Jewel, isn't it? What did you tell her, that you have no interest in it, that it is of insignificance to you?" as it noticed his nasty growl, it grinned. "Or am I wrong? Do you truly care about this girl?"

He could feel how he got angrier with each passing second, his eyes beginning to bleed red. But he suppressed his blood, this was no time to go into a rage, he had to keep concentrating. That's when he felt it.

Tenseiga, pulsating.

No one noticed, but he felt how the sword began pulsating yet again, like it wanted to tell him something. He narrowed his eyes, thinking. Toukijin was of no use against this youkai, but what could he do with Tenseiga? It was a sword that couldn't kill. The youkai didn't even need to use his special ability, the sword would do no harm to him anyway. Unless... Tenseiga being like it was meant it was the only sword that could kill this creature. Maybe you needed a special sword like it to kill him. Either way, there was only one way to find out.

He drew Tenseiga, and felt how it began to pulsate some more. "Oh, so now you are trying with your other sword? Don't worry, it will have the same effect..." the youkai kept its confident air, but he saw how its eye twitched a bit and he began looking around. Yes, maybe this would be it.

He lunged forward, raising his sword, and the youkai could do nothing against his inhuman speed. Tenseiga sliced trough it, a light showing like always, but instead of the youkai getting up and walk further, it remained down on the ground, not moving. He waited a bit, but he heard no heartbeat and smelled no life remaining in it anymore. He looked amazed at Tenseiga, not really believing what he saw.

The sword wasn't as useless as it seemed.

Then, he looked at the youkai again, and his eyes narrowed as he saw something. It had changed back to its normal form again, and its clothing was ripped, leaving its back bare to see. The skin was flawless, expect for one spot on his back.

It was an ugly, spider shaped scar.

He kept staring at it, feeling, or more like, knowing he had seen it somewhere before, but... where?

He shook his head and turned to look at Kagome. She was staring at the youkai too, but then looked up at him with relief in her eyes. He saw she was grateful, but she didn't do what would be typical for her; she didn't run up to him and hugged him, like she so often did. Normally, it annoyed him, but now she didn't do anything, it worried him.

Did she believe that youkai? That he was after the Jewel?

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Forest near the Elven castle, Southern Lands

At the edge of the forest once again was a black haired woman waiting for the spy's report. Having stayed there on her feather for about an hour now, she sighed and the feather disappeared, leaving her standing there, staring with red glowing eyes at the castle in front of her.

The spy was later, very late. Damn, she had wasted the whole evening already by waiting, but the idiot didn't show up. Awhile ago, she saw a blue light, but she didn't thought anything of it. It probably was just some elf, or something that had to do with their party. They were incredibly loud, at least, to her standards, with their music and singing. She could only hope that spy hadn't dropped by on that party and forgot he had to report to her. Not only she was pissed, Naraku would be pissed too.

She looked alarmed as she saw yet another light. Something told her, either those elves were gone mad, or something was happening. And on top of that, she sensed Lord Sesshoumaru nearby too. Quickly, her hand moved up to her head as she pulled a feather out of her hair, transforming it into a bigger one.

She flew up into the air, approaching the castle. She was unnoticed by any guards, and now saw she was above some sort of garden. Looking down, she saw how Lord Sesshoumaru was standing there, towering over the damn spy, who looked pretty dead to her.

So he had been caught... A small smile crept over her face. Bad for Naraku, good for her she decided. It was not as if she could stand the guy anyway. She saw other elves coming their way and quickly turned and flew away, coming higher and higher into the air.

This was some bad news she had to tell. Although, bad... it depended on how you looked at it...

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Elven castle, Southern Lands

Kikyou looked from Sango back at the direction of the gardens and realized the girl was right. The girl, monk and kitsune had come to her, pointing out how they saw lightning above the gardens. And indeed, blue lightning could be seen, and... she sensed something. She concentrated on it, and than realized it must be a youkai.

How did a youkai get here in the castle, without anyone noticing?

She ordered to stop the music, called a few soldiers and together, they hurried off. She looked at the sky once, and could swear something was up there, but than it disappeared. They ran further, and as they reached the gardens, they stopped.

Her jaw dropped, just like everyone else, as she saw the scene before her. Kagome to the side, wounded, and Lord Sesshoumaru with a sword in his hands, standing over the corpse of a dead youkai.

She quickly regained her composure and looked stern at Kagome. "What has happened here?"

Her sister plumbed down on the ground and stared into the distance. "A youkai attacked me, and Lord Sesshoumaru noticed it and saved me."

She narrowed her eyes at the taiyoukai, who still hadn't acknowledged her but kept staring at the corpse lying at his feet as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Do you have something to do with this? Is this some spy of yours?" she turned and looked with anger at the soldiers behind her. "And how come this youkai got into the castle? Why did nobody notice it? What exactly are you doing here, sleeping or standing guard like you should do?"

A cold voice interrupted her and she turned to see how Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword. "I have nothing do to with this, and if you want to know, this youkai had some special abilities. He could transform himself, imitating anyone, even me. By doing so, its death was already a fact." He looked up at her and she almost shivered at the cold look in his eyes. "No one dares to insult this Sesshoumaru like that."

"It is how he says," she turned to look at her sister, who was busy healing herself. "The youkai imitated Sesshoumaru and tried to get the Jewel." Kagome's hand went up to her neck, but oddly enough, she looked not at her, but looked Sesshoumaru right in the eyes as she took the Jewel in her hands. "As you can see, it is still safe. Nothing has happened to it. Now if you would excuse me, I'm tired because I used a lot of energy. I'm going to sleep."

She watched how her sister walked away after taking the kitsune of the monk's shoulders, and noticed how Sesshoumaru was looking trough narrowed eyes at her. She ordered the soldiers to remove to body, redoubled the amount of guards on the walls, and left back to the party together with Sango and Miroku, leaving Sesshoumaru standing there.

She kept thinking about how he looked at her sister, and somehow she had the feeling, something more happened than just a fight.

There was... something... going on between those two...

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Kagome walked up to her room with Shippou in her arms, laid him into bed and waited until he fell asleep. Then, she walked up to her mirror and looked at herself, fingering with the Jewel. She had survived, because Sesshoumaru saved her... again.

She had been so relieved as she saw him. She had felt save when he was there, she trusted him, he wouldn't let her down. But she just couldn't forget the youkai's words.

'..._why don't you take the Jewel? That's the only reason why you are behaving so friendly towards her, isn't it? You are waiting for your golden chance, for when she trusts you. And than, you'll kill her and take the Jewel, isn't it? What did you tell her, that you have no interest in it, that it is of insignificance to you? Or am I wrong? Do you truly care about this girl?'_

It made her doubt Sesshoumaru's intentions. She knew her own, she loved him, she felt completely save when she was with him, but she also knew he wouldn't feel the same. And the way he acted tonight, dancing like that with her, was pretty suspicious too. Maybe that youkai was right, maybe he was just after the Jewel.

But than why did he protect her again? When he saw that youkai, he immediately shoved her behind him, standing protectively in front of her. And as the youkai accused him of betraying her, he growled so dangerous. Almost as if that thought should be impossible.

He was just such an incredible difficult person. It was what made him interesting, and unique, but sometimes, like now, it was only frustrating, because now she didn't know what to think of him anymore.

She had looked him right into his eyes earlier, showing him the Jewel, waiting for his reaction. He didn't seem affected by the thought that the Jewel was still in her hands, he didn't even look at it, instead, he had stared right back into her eyes.

She lay down next to Shippou and took him in her arms, trying to forget about Sesshoumaru, but she just couldn't. Did he hate her, did he like her as a friend, did he thought nothing special of her, or did he thought of her as something more than a friend?

She didn't know anymore

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He stood to the side and kept staring at the dead youkai until some soldiers carried it away. All the time, that spider scar kept troubling him. It seemed so familiar... but right now, he didn't know where he saw it earlier. He had lived so many years now, sometimes he just forgot things. It would resurface later on, he decided.

Instead, he began to worry about the youkai's scent. It had definitely been Naraku's scent, no mistake possible. At first, he thought Naraku was close, but the scent definitely came from the youkai.

It made him worry. He still had no idea how the guy could smell of Naraku, but he would find out later, he was sure of that. He was more concentrating on the fact that Naraku was involved in this. Naraku had gone from attacking with big armies to sneaking around with spies in others castles.

He had discovered some spies in HIS castle as of lately. He never knew where they came from, but he suspected it was Naraku behind it. And now he wasn't there, only his brother in charge... this didn't look good.

He turned and faced the tower where up in her room a certain girl was now thinking of him, which he of course didn't realize, but his thoughts also went to her.

Kagome... he didn't know if she believed that youkai, but she definitely got somewhat suspicious of him. The way she showed that Jewel to him, as if waiting for his reaction...

He knew the accusations of that spy were ridiculous. He really thought nothing of that stupid Jewel. But the other things he said, if he 'really cared about that girl', it made him think. Did he care for her?

He already knew he couldn't kill her, no matter what. And he was protective of her. He normally didn't dance, but as that elf asked her, he got angry. No one had the right to be close to her like that! But, where did that thought came from? It was ridiculous!

He looked around once more, then sighed and walked away.

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The next day, early afternoon

He had barely slept the last night, and his mood today was so bad, almost everyone ignored him or quickly walked away. His face was as cold as ever, and his thoughts were still with only one person.

Kagome.

Lately, they would meet each other, whether by coincidence or not, in the library, or in the gardens, a few times throughout the day. Kagome would always be cheery and greet him in her usual way, and he would always react cold towards her, except on a few occasions. The kitsune would always be near him, asking him questions and driving him insane, together with the girl, who was always so active.

But today... today not.

So far, he had only seen her twice. First, he saw her at breakfast, but she barely acknowledged him and chatted further with the kitsune, it was almost as if she ignored him. Later, he saw her walking down the halls, but she looked away when she walked past him and that was very odd for her.

He always thought of her antics to be annoying, but now he missed it when she smiled at him, when she spoke to him, or when she would come out of nowhere and hug him to thank him for Kami knows what. He missed her clumsiness which always amused him. He didn't know why, but he missed it.

He was now sitting in the library, at his favourite spot on the windowsills. He had a book in his hands, but he hadn't read a single word as long as he sat there, he just couldn't concentrate.

He was looking out of the window again, as the door opened and someone came in. He turned his head and his golden eyes rested on exact that person he was thinking about.

She stood there in the doorway, frozen to the spot, and he looked on with annoyance as she averted her gaze and looked at the floor. She fidgeted somewhat with her feet as she spoke. "I'm sorry if I startled you... I wanted to read but I just remembered I should be helping my mother."

It was a lie and he knew it. Oh yes, she was a bad liar. Not only did he knew her mother would probably be busy with her advisors, he also could see it in her eyes as she looked up again before turning and preparing to walk out of the room again. But no... not with him.

No one ignored him like that.

He was of the windowsill and in front of her in seconds. She backed away, but didn't got far as the wall was in her way. She tried to get past him, but he put an arm on each side of her body, caging her on that spot.

"I am going to ask you something now and you are going to answer. I want to know what's wrong with you."

"N-nothing... please, I really need to go..."

"You lie," he saw how she flinched at his words and he knew he was right. "You don't have to go anywhere. You are going to stay right here. I know something is wrong. You are not yourself today. I almost get the distant feeling that you are ignoring me..."

"No!"

"Don't you remember what I told you once?" she looked up at him with wide eyes, confusion evident in them. "I told you, I hate people who lie. You are lying right now, and I don't appreciate it at all."

"You... you really hate me?"

He frowned at her hurt face, confused as that she would take his words that badly. "I just want the truth. Why do you ignore me?"

She looked to the side and he almost didn't hear her as she responded. "I... I really don't intend to, it's just, after yesterday..."

He knew it. She believed that damn youkai yesterday. He studied her as she looked away, taking in everything of her face, her eyes, her nose, and that mouth...

He gently grasped her chin and turned her head so she was looking at him. He was a moment entranced by those large brown eyes of her, but then she looked down at the ground again. Instead, he stared at her lips and found himself tracing over them with his thumb. It shocked him, and he would've pulled back, had she not stiffened and looked up at him again.

Their eyes met, and he didn't notice it that he leaned in closer, his hand now caressing her cheek, until their noses almost touched. And all the time, he couldn't stop himself from looking into those eyes. They were so close...

BANG!

The door flew open, and he hastily did a step back and looked at the intruder. Kagome still stood against the wall, her eyes large, first staring at him, than also turning to look at who came in.

The kitsune.

He knew it. That brat always annoyed him, and it managed again to disturb him. But... maybe it was good that the boy came in. He watched how Kagome quickly picked him up before it could say anything and hurried out of the room. And he realized something. If the boy hadn't come in...

... he would've kissed her.

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Later that afternoon

He had finally left the castle, as he couldn't read anything now, and now he stood outside in the gardens, looking at the Southern tower with a frown on his porcelain face.

He hadn't seen her anymore. Kagome... she had left the library in a hurry, and he had followed soon. He was angry at himself, because he had almost let his self controle slip. He had almost done something which he thought would be impossible. He had almost kissed an elf. He had almost kissed HER.

But why? He had to admit, he had always been curious about this girl. When he first came here, he wanted to find out if the stories about her were true, before he escaped again. But he found himself staying, finding all kinds of excuses to do so. First he would wait for the negotiations, then for the prisoners to arrive, and now... what was his excuse now?

All the time, he had grown used to her company. First finding her annoying, but then appreciating her. He had almost grown used to being around her, and that's why he had noticed her strange behaviour this morning.

So she believed the youkai... he already thought it yesterday, but now he knew it for sure. His gaze went for a moment in the direction where he killed the spy yesterday and his eyes narrowed. He almost got the urge to revive it and kill it again just to take revenge for its words. He, interested in the Shikon no Tama? Nonsense. He, caring for the girl? He didn't know...

A sound clang and he smelled a human approaching. He remained standing there, the wind tugging at his clothes and letting his long, silver hair blow around his face.

"You young people seem to think a lot," came the voice of an old woman who he recognised as the one Kagome was so fond of.

He snorted and turned to look at her. "Age seems to get to you," he commented. "Who are you to speak about youth? Who are you, to call ME, young? I am far older than you, human."

She nodded at him, but his words didn't seem to affect her at all. "In human years, maybe, but youkai age different than we, and for your own race, you are still young."

She had a point there, but he ignored it. "What do you want from me, old woman?"

"I came to apologise," he raised his eyebrow at her, but again, she ignored him. "Not so long ago, I said you were our dear Kagome's friend." He opened his mouth to retort, but she silenced him. "Now before we get angry again, I shall admit, I was wrong."

He glared at her. "Maybe you have at least some common sense, wench."

"Yes, maybe...," her eyes had an amused glint in them. "You are indeed not her friend, not at all, no. I would say, you are something more than just a FRIEND..."

He stiffened, glaring at her as the way she said 'friend' hadn't escaped his attention. "What are you talking about? I am still an enemy, what are you suggesting?"

"Oh come on child," she openly laughed at the look on his face. "I know you like her. In human years, you may be older than I am, but I have much more experience and are much wiser. I know what I see."

"And what do you see?"

She grinned at him again, her old face lighting up. "I see how you look at her. I see how you look at anyone who gets near to her, especially when it is a male..." she turned and began to walk away. "... you may be the most powerful youkai in the world, but you cannot fool me... you don't seem to realize it yet, but you are indeed more than just a friend..."

She walked away, but he was too surprised to go after her and punish her for the not so respectful way she talked to him. More than a friend... maybe.

He stayed in the gardens for a long, long time, thinking about everything what happened since he first arrived here. Thinking about everything he saw, and the tiny little bits of information he got from what was happening out there, in his lands and those of others.

Finally, when he went inside, he had come to a decision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That night

Sesshoumaru looked once more around his room as he fastened his swords to his side and clasped his armour on. It had been weeks since he first came here, and somehow, he had gotten used to the room, the light paintings and the happiness that spoke from it.

He shook his head, turned and walked out of the door leading to the balcony. He walked to the edge and stood there for a moment, gazing into the distance. He concentrated on his youki and felt the powerful barrier around the castle.

He had to bring it down.

He had come to a decision... he would leave. The things going on out there were worrying him. That spy had smelled of Naraku, and he knew Naraku enough to not trust him. And his brother was all alone, ruling his lands. He had to get back, now, before anything happened. He had a nasty feeling that if he stayed here, something bad would happen. And he was not one to give up his lands so lightly. If his father had known he had stayed weeks at this castle without even attempting to escape, he would've been furious. He would've told him he should look after their lands, he should guard it and he should never leave when Naraku was so close.

And second... Kagome. He was acting so differently around her as of last, he was not sure if he could control himself anymore. This afternoon, he had seriously wanted to kiss her. And although he knew it was a bad idea, her being an elf, an enemy, and it should be good that he didn't do it, he still regretted it. He still wanted to kiss her, to protect her, and it was completely new for him.

Lord Sesshoumaru didn't care for anyone but himself. That was a golden rule, but a rule that was about to be broken. He was about to care for one single girl, an elf, the guardian of the Shikon no Tama and he would not let that happen. His father would turn around in his grave would he knew from it.

His thoughts went to the barrier, about how to break it, how to bring it down. He was lost in thoughts as a light began flickering around the castle once, before it died down and he immediately sensed the barrier was down. Without turning, he began speaking.

"Why did you do that? Why do you help me?"

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She stood there, with tears in her eyes and watched how he turned to look at her. She gasped at the way the moonlight shone at him and how he stood there, so mysterious, so beautiful... She had sensed him out here, and against her better judgement spied on him. And she instantly knew what he was about to do.

He wanted to leave.

She didn't want him to, she wanted him to stay here, with her, but that was impossible, and she knew it. The truce was almost over and then he would leave. What happened in the library made her think that maybe, just maybe, he did feel something, but she was convinced he was just playing with her. This was just him being cruel again. There was no way he would stay once the truce ended, so why not let him escape now? What was the difference of a few days, a few weeks? Her sister would kill her, but she had always been against capturing him. She was always against making prisoners and she knew one shouldn't capture such a creature as he was. He should be free, and even though it was with pain in her heart, she would help him.

"I told you, I hate making prisoners. I think you should be free."

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "And how will you sister react once she hears what you did? And your mother, your people?"

Her eyes widened, was he worried about her? But he looked as cold as ever and her hopes were rapidly shattered. "I can deal with Kikyou. And deep down, mother has the same opinion about this as I have."

"So you let me free. Free to aid the other Lords and attack your castle again. Free to rule my lands and be a danger to your people."

"I don't care! It is against our laws, against my opinion to capture anybody! And.." she looked at the ground as she whispered the next words. "...I trust you..."

She looked up again and blinked. One moment, he was standing several feet away, at the edge of the balcony, the next moment, he stood before her. She gasped as he slung an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. His other hand came up, the deadly claws clearly visible in the weak moonlight. For a moment, she felt afraid, was it like the youkai said, would he take the Jewel with him as he left? But it was quickly gone. She trusted him, she decided and closed her eyes. Indeed, he didn't hurt her, but what he did do surprised her even more.

Her eyes flew open as she felt how he gently traced along her jaw with his claws. She looked at him, but his eyes were downcast and she realized he was looking at the Shikon no Tama. Slowly, his hand went to the Jewel, but he refrained from touching it. She was frowning now, what was he doing?

Then, his eyes locked upon hers and she swallowed once at the intensity of his gaze. "He must never get it. Whatever you do, don't ever let him get it."

She knew instantly of who and what he spoke, and she nodded at him. She expected him to let her go but stiffened as he spoke again.

"Kagome..."

Now he just said her name, but the way he said it and that look in his eyes. She long ago realized she was falling for him, but she never expected him to feel the same. Still, the way he looked at her now made her heart beat faster and she could feel she would miss him. She should have guarded her heart more. He was a prisoner, she knew this moment would come.

His hand came up once more, caressing her cheek, then coming behind her head which was tilted a bit back. Her eyelids drooped halfway close while she was wondering why she felt his breath on her lips. When had he come so close? It was almost as back in the library, this afternoon.

All her thoughts however rapidly shattered as he came even closer and their lips touched. First she stiffened, shocked, only taking in how his lips moved over hers. He growled a bit, and suddenly, she decided she didn't care anymore, and she slung her arms around his neck and started to kiss him back. He growled once more, his arms tightening around her and his tongue flicking over her lips once.

She gasped as she felt it, and the next moment, he had taken advantage of it and his tongue was in her mouth, exploring it, tasting every bit of her. Soon, she began to hesitatingly mimic his actions, going with her tongue over his fangs.

Even if she lived many years, never had she been kissed this way, and actually, she even enjoyed it. Apparently, he did it to, because he growled softly once in awhile, one hand still at the back of her head, the other around her waist.

After several minutes, they broke apart, gasping for air. She collapsed against him, laying her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She was so confused. Did this mean he might feel the same as she did?

She shivered and closed her eyes as he nuzzled her neck before whispering in her ear. "Do not trust anyone."

As she opened her eyes less than a second later, she collapsed to the ground, crying and hugging herself because of the sudden coldness and loneliness. That what she had feared so much, had happened.

He was gone...

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Well, I think everyone will like this chapter... and hate it too. But, don't worry, I assure you, they will meet again! I finished this chapter just in time, in two days I will go to school again... and I will be busy this year, but I won't forget about you! I just want to thank everyone who reviewed and I'm glad you all understand the situation with my mother (who is still the best mother in the world, even though she picked in the computer)

**Lady Lydia: **Kagura will not be so bad in this story, no...

**Sesshomaru4eva203: **Yeah, I know, he's an idiot, but that's just because this author wants Kagome to be saved by our cold taiyoukai...

**White Plum: **Inuyasha will be in the next chapter again...

**Robin's-hope: **Ah, another victim, you know, that stuff with the computer... yeah, Sesshoumaru dancing, that should be fun... I don't mind long review, I love them!

**Elvenyoukai: **Sorry if I didn't send you an email yet, but it would be great if you want to beta for me! As for Changes, I wrote ¾ of the new chapter, but I get stuck all time, and then I don't know what to write about... but don't worry, I'll finish it!

**Daniel: **Hehe, I already send you an email... so, nothing to answer right now...

**Kristen: **Yeah, I hate it too if they change Sesshoumaru like that... that's absolutely not in character.

**Yuki Tsukiyo: **That aura, yes, that was just because elves are always such mysterious creatures...

**Rykfiction: **Everyone his or her opinion, I agree with that... I just wanted to make Sess a bit mean at first, before letting him fall in love so easily...

**shigure-san:** Trust me, normally I am a bit sooner... just not now, you know, that row...

**foxdemon113: **How many chapters? I don't know exactly, but it will be a long story... I already know what I'm going to write until chapter 20, and it still isn't finished then, so, we'll see...


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Separated and a new dan...

_**Chapter Fifteen: Separated... and a new danger coming.**_

_Elven castle, Southern Lands_

Walking across the courtyard was a lone soldier on his way to one of the walls. He looked annoyed and was murmuring to himself. He was almost at his destination as a voice startled him. He grabbed his spear, but lowered it again when he saw who it was.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, looking curiously at the other soldier. "I thought you were to stand guard tomorrow?"

"Nope, didn't you hear what happened?"

The soldier let out something which could have been a growl. "Of course I heard. What do you think I'm doing out here? They caught a spy, or something like that. And now they are redoubling the guards." He kicked a stone away. "They said I had no duty tonight, so I was at the party yesterday. I thought I could get some good sleep tonight, but no, now I can forget it, I had to come here."

The other soldier laughed bitterly. "Same here, mate! I didn't want to go, but I went anyway. I heard Lady Kikyou was pretty pissed..."

The other frowned. "That's not so good... But tell me, do you..." he suddenly shut his mouth and brought up his spear again.

His friend frowned at his behaviour. "What is it?"

"I sense something. There is something or someone very powerful around here." They both looked up at the sky as a dark shadow flew through the air, over the walls and away from the castle.

They both frowned and at the same time voiced their thoughts. "What the hell was that?"

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She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, hugging herself and crying, and all the time staring into the distance where he had disappeared earlier. She wished he would come back, but she was angry with him all the same.

Why did he have to kiss her? Why did he do that? He didn't feel anything for her, or else he would've stayed. It only made things worse for her. How was she supposed to forget him now?

She brought up her hand and with trembling fingers touched her lips. She closed her eyes, remembering everything that had just happened. It made her blush, but she liked it. But now he was gone, there was probably no way she would ever see him again. She almost wished she could travel through time and keep him here. But no, that would've been selfish. How often did he tell her he wasn't homesick? Maybe he lied, maybe he had indeed wanted to go home. Maybe he was afraid for his lands.

Maybe she shouldn't have ignored him the way she did. That spy after all wasn't right; he indeed had no interest for the Jewel at all. If he was interested, he would've taken it tonight. And he didn't. She felt so guilty as she remembered how she didn't greet him and just ignored him earlier that day. Maybe he was angry at her now. Maybe... maybe it was all her fault he was gone?

She shivered as the wind blew through her hair and stood, walking to her door. She already stretched her hand to grasp the handle as she froze. Her gaze went to the other door next to her and she drew her hand back.

Sesshoumaru's room...

She shook her head and walked towards it, opened it and stepped into the room. She closed the door behind her and looked around the room with tears in her eyes.

This room would never be an empty room again. She felt like she would always feel his presence here, would always see his face before her, as if he was right there. This just felt like it really was his room.

She walked over to the bed and plunked down on it. She began crying again as she hugged the pillow close to her and buried her face in it. The room still smelled a bit like him, and she could still feel that strange but enormous power of his. She went on lying on the bed like that, still sobbing and asking herself the same questions over and over again.

Why? Why did he go?

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Kikyou was walking down the halls, on her way to her rooms, lost in her thoughts. Since yesterday she had redoubled the guards, and she had done something which was very weird for her; she had been really pissed and for once had even lost her temper. How could those stupid guards let that spy in? Why didn't they notice it? Why hadn't SHE noticed it?

What had it seen, what had it reported before Lord Sesshoumaru killed it? Who's spy was it? Lord Sesshoumaru's, and did he kill it as it would surely be discovered once it attacked her sister? Or was it someone else's? Naraku's? But why would Sesshoumaru kill it then? The other Lord was his ally... this just didn't make sense.

"Kikyou-sama! My Lady!"

She looked up and saw a soldier coming her way. He was running at top speed and his face wore a panicked expression. She sighed and gave the soldier a cold look. "What is it now? Not any more spies I hope?"

The soldier leaned on the wall, panting from his run. "We... we don't know... two guards have seen something up in the air. One of them, an elf, sensed someone very powerful leaving the castle."

She straightened herself and looked at the soldier. Someone very powerful leaving the castle? She had a pretty good guess who that was. "Go and call the taiji. Tell her she has to go and check on Lady Kagome. I'll be outside to speak to those guards."

The soldier nodded at her and she watched it run away in the direction of the servant's rooms to get Sango. She herself turned and walked the other way, down the stairs and out onto the courtyard.

Would she be right about what had happened?

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Sango was once again running up the multitude of stairs in the Southern Tower. She had no idea what was going on, but something had definitely happened, because the soldier had looked pretty panicked and they had even called for Kikyou. She almost stumbled in her haste and cursed the stairs under her breath.

Finally, she reached the top of the stairs and without knocking she stormed into Kagome's room. She walked over to the bed, intending to wake her, but then she saw Shippou blinking up at her. She froze and looked around the room, but her friend was nowhere to be seen. She noticed how the door to the balcony stood slightly open and she pulled it further, but no, the balcony was empty too.

She stared at the other door there, the only room up here which she hadn't checked. But no, it was Lord Sesshoumaru's. It was then that she realized she couldn't sense him around, and she could swear she heard someone cry.

Resolutely she threw the door open and walked inside, followed by Shippou, who was asking where Kagome was. And sure enough, her friend was there. Kagome was lying on the bed, curled up like a small ball while hugging the pillow, and she was crying. The kitsune ran past her and jumped up onto the bed, patting Kagome's shoulder.

"Kagome... please Kagome, what's wrong?" he cried. The girl, however, ignored him and cried further.

Sango approached her and sat down next to her. "What happened Kagome? Why are you crying? And... where is Sesshoumaru?"

She was almost thrown over as Kagome sat upright and hugged her. She just patted her friend on her back, returning her hug and waiting for her to answer her question. Kagome sniffled a bit, before answering so quietly she almost didn't hear it.

"He's gone Sango... he's gone..."

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_Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands_

Inuyasha was in his brother's study, walking around, rummaging a bit through the room, and all the while trying to ignore the irritating comments of the two also occupying the space.

"Shame on you! How can you go through my master's room like this! My Lord Sesshoumaru will surely kill you if he knew!"

Inuyasha glared at the toad servant and shrugged. "Well, he doesn't know, so I don't care. Those stupid generals keep nagging at me, and I don't have any idea how to rule these lands. Surely the idiot left something which can help me?"

He watched, becoming even more annoyed as a tiny little being jumped up and down on the Western Lord's desk. "But Lord Inuyasha! I think Jaken is right, it is best if I advise you and you leave your brother's study. He will notice you were here and he will surely be angry."

"Keh," Inuyasha plopped down on a chair and grinned. "_You_ advising _me_? Do you ever know what you're saying? You're too afraid of those generals, you'd just run away."

"But this isn't good," Myouga hopped onto Inuyasha's shoulder and began shouting in his ear. "You must leave! You know how angry your brother can get!"

Inuyasha sighed before grabbing the flea youkai and throwing him on the ground. "Stop yelling at me like that! Sesshoumaru isn't here, he won't notice, so what's the problem?"

He leaned backwards and closed his eyes, but he hastily opened them again as he was picked up and thrown at the wall opposite from where he had been sitting. His eyes widened and he gulped as he saw his brother standing there in all his glory, shooting him a murderous look.

"The problem, Inuyasha, is that I _am_ here, and that I do notice..."

Jaken hurried over to his the lord and threw himself at Sesshoumaru's feet. "My Lord, you are back! I was so afraid that the elves had slain you! This humble servant is so glad you are home!"

Inuyasha couldn't suppress a grin as his brother kicked the toad too around the room. "You should very well know Jaken, that no one can kill me, and especially not those elves."

The toad hurriedly bowed again. "I am so sorry my Lord, I beg your forgiveness... of course no one can kill you. It was only a matter of time before you came back."

Inuyasha shivered at the cold smirk on his brother's face. "Only a matter of time, yes... but no rummaging through my study again," Sesshoumaru glared at him. "... because I will kill you if you do. Yes, dear brother, you'd better watch yourself from now on, because now I'm back..."

_A week later_

_Elven castle, Southern Lands_

The sun shone brightly and a few birds chirped, but Sango paid no heed to them. She was sitting outside in the gardens, with Hiraikotsu before her. Originally, she had intended to clean and repair her boomerang, but it had only been a few minutes, and she had given up already. She just couldn't concentrate. And it was not because of the weather, or anything else.

It was only because of Kagome.

It had been a week now since a she had found her best friend all alone up in that tower, crying her eyes out. It didn't take them long to discover that Lord Sesshoumaru had disappeared. But how, they didn't know. Kagome had cried all night, until she finally calmed down somewhat early in the morning and fallen asleep. After she had awoken, they had tried to ask her what happened, but all she would say was 'he's gone' or 'he left'. Something which they in fact already knew. So, they assumed he had escaped and returned to his lands.

But Sango wasn't stupid. And neither were the others. He had just left, without taking the Shikon no Tama, without a lot of effort from his side apparently, and without hurting Kagome who had been all alone up in that tower. Sango just couldn't stop thinking about why the taiyoukai showed no interest in the Jewel. He had said it before, but it just confused her. Everyone was after it, why not he too?

Most of all, she was worrying about her friend. Kagome had been so distant these days, never really smiling, her eyes sometimes a bit red and puffy, indicating she had been crying. She was just so sad, but she never wanted to talk about it. Everyone had tried to ask her, but she never wanted to tell what was wrong. They were all worried sick, but there was nothing they could do.

Sango frowned as she heard a sound behind her, and looking over her shoulder, she groaned as she saw who was approaching.

"Oh my dearest Sango, what a coincidence..."

"Carefully planned more like." She rolled her eyes.

"...that I should find you here..." Miroku huffed at her. "But Sango, it really is a coincidence!" As she ignored his blinding smile, he pouted. "What, not happy to see me?"

She sighed and put Hiraikotsu down. It was not as if she would have any time for it now. "Yeah yeah, have it your way," she grumbled, patting the ground next to her. "You can sit down. But ONLY sit down..." she glared at him but he just smiled.

"Well, my beautiful Sango," He began, making her blush, but glared at him all the same. "Care to tell me why you are sitting here? Obviously you are not busy with Hiraikotsu." He held his hands in front of him to let her see he wasn't doing anything. "Really Sango, I wasn't coming for that. I'm just worried about a certain person, and I believe you share the same thoughts about that person."

Sango eyed him warily but nodded. "I know who you're talking about. Kagome."

"Yes, our dear friend Kagome. Ever since that incident a week ago, she has been so sad..."

Sango briefly wondered how it could be that Miroku was acting so seriously, but she quickly shrugged the thought away and asked the question that had been bothering her for so long. "Why Miroku? Why is she so sad? Do you know anything?"

She didn't expect him to answer, but to her surprise, he did. "I have a pretty good guess, yes..." he spoke softly.

She looked at him, surprised. "Really? Then tell me!"

His eyes widened, as if he had suddenly realized something. "I would love to Sango, but I promised I wouldn't tell anyone... I can only say, it's because of Lord Sesshoumaru."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "He hurt her, didn't he? I knew one couldn't trust him. What did he do to her?!"

The monk's eyes took on a bit of a dreamy expression. "It's not like that, no... he didn't hurt her... or maybe he did?"

She smashed her fist on the ground before her and looked satisfied as Miroku jumped in surprise. "Just tell me monk, damn it! I'm waiting! I want to help Kagome but I can't do that if I don't know what's going on!"

He looked troubled and hesitantly began speaking. "Ok... maybe I could tell you... But only if you tell nobody, and don't mention anything to Kagome. She'll kill me if she finds out. Well, it's quite simple... I had to get her once, they needed her to look after a patient, and sadly, I forgot to knock as I went into her room... a bit of a habit it is..." he gulped at the look she gave him before he quickly continued. "...anyway, I walked in... and... well, I found them together... it's not..."

"You did WHAT?!" She yelled as she jumped, her eyes aflame. "What do you mean?" He didn't answer her, instead watching her with widened eyes. Suddenly, she began to get suspicious. "No, no way, you've go to be kidding me... They didn't..." she glared at him. "... nice joke, but I won't fall for it, you pervert. Kagome would never do such a thing. She wouldn't ... Unless... oh my god, he didn't..."

Miroku quickly stood and clasped a hand for her mouth. "Shhhh, Sango calm down! And I thought I was the pervert here..." he quickly let go of her as she whacked him over the head. "It's not like that Sango! Kagome had a vision, a really nasty one, and she said it had something to do with Sesshoumaru. You know how she gets when she sees something awful... Sesshoumaru only helped her, and he stayed with her all night... I almost didn't believe it, but it's true. I think something is going on between those two..."

"But they are enemies! A youkai and an elf! And he's such a cold person. Kagome, yes, it would be something for her, but him... no... no no no!"

"Just believe me Sango, as the expert I am on things like this. If there had been no war, no animosity between everyone, I bet you everything they would fall in love... Maybe they even did. But somehow, something happened, and Sesshoumaru left. Maybe I'm wrong, but I beg you, please try to talk to Kagome. Maybe she'll tell you something if you ask about Sesshoumaru. We have to know what's going on if we want to help her."

"But even if it's true, what could we possibly do to help her? We can't make this war undone, you know. It's been going on for years now."

"I know Sango, I know. But we could hope that maybe, just maybe luck will be with us. Fate doesn't always have to be cruel..."

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_Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands_

Up in his study, a certain taiyoukai was growling in frustration. He had been away for what... a few weeks? And the mess his brother had made in that time... He knew one thing for sure, he would never, _ever_ again leave his lands in his brother's hands. Not unless he was properly educated, and was a bit more intelligent, something which wouldn't happen in another thousand years, or so it seemed.

He had come back, and there had been the expected surprised reaction from everyone, but quickly, it had all returned to normal. The first thing he had done was locking himself in his study and checking everything that was going on in his lands and every decision his brother had made. And, so far, he had been doing that since earlier today, only stopping to rest or eat once. No had dared to ask him questions about what happened, except Jaken and he had paid for it. He was in a foul mood, and that wasn't about to change so quickly.

He had always been busy like this, he had always been working, never relaxing, it was what he was used to. But this time, this time he was working like this for another reason than just because he had to look after his lands. This time, he was working because he tried to forget.

When he had left that elven castle a week ago, he didn't know what exactly he thought of Kagome, and he still didn't know. But there was one thing he believed, that whole situation of appreciating her presence, of wanting to KISS her, that was only temporary. It didn't mean anything. He would come back to his castle, rule as always and forget about her.

Only... it didn't really go that way.

Somehow, Kagome always managed to avoid, ignore or destroy his carefully laid out plans. His plan for departing was bringing that barrier down and simply going. But no, of all the people that could have shown up, it had to be her. He had wanted to leave to avoid those weird thoughts about her, to clear his mind, but as she stood there, everything but that happened. And this time, there was no annoying kitsune brat to interrupt him and keep him from doing something he would later regret. Only, he didn't regret anything. He would've gladly done it again. And that's what disturbed him.

He had thought he would forget about her. Well, he didn't. Instead, he kept thinking about her all day or seeing her face before him. Always, when he was walking down the hall, he expected her to turn up somewhere, run into him and be all embarrassed, but all he saw were servants, who looked rather scared of him.

Sighing again, he abruptly stood and walked towards the door. He opened it and walked down the halls, ignoring all the servants who where bowing as he passed by. He strode to a set of stairs and followed them up. He walked and walked, and only stopped when he was up in one of the towers, standing on a balcony.

He had always come here to think, and nowadays, he came even more than usual. Being up here in that tower just made him think of her. After all, she would like it up there and they met many times at the balcony back on her tower.

He was already lost in thoughts, but suddenly noticed something. He had come up here so quickly, he hadn't detected it at first. He sniffed at the air and turned, his eyes narrowing as he glared at one of the doors leading to a tower room.

There was a human up here.

Now that he was paying attention, he could tell more about from it's smell. She was a female, and was crying. His first thought was 'how it was possible that there was a human up here?' His second was regarding how disgusting it was to be near such a weak creature. His third thought was to go and find what was going on. That one definitely came from Kagome's influence on him, there was no mistake about that.

He opened the door and stepped into the room. At first he saw nothing, but then his gaze fell on a small human girl, huddled in the corner of the room, tears streaming down her small, dirty face.

"Who are you?" he demanded in a steely voice.

Normally, people would flinch when he directed them with this cold and uncaring tone, accompanied with one of his icy looks. The girl however sniffled a bit, but then stood, and to his surprise, she smiled at him. "Are you going to save Rin from these bad men?" she asked him.

He watched her, amazed that she didn't appear to be scared of him, just went on grinning foolishly. He studied her upturned face, the large brown eyes, and black hair with a small ponytail at the top of her head. A few bruises littered her face, and she wore rather poor, badly damaged clothes.

"What kind of 'bad men'?" he heard himself ask her. Normally, a child like this would be dead or kicked out of his castle, but he could clearly see now what influence Kagome had had upon him. She had softened him somewhat, at least enough to ensure that he didn't kill this child. He could almost imagine her screaming at him if he did. Of course, that couldn't be as she was no longer around. Kami, he even missed that temper of hers!

However, before the child could answer, the door leading to the hall flew open and two guards tumbled in. They immediately spotted the girl and growled at her. She looked scared now, and it appeared she had every right to be, as one of the guards rudely shook her and slapped her once. "Stupid human, you thought you could run away from us?" He looked at the other. "I told you, those humans have no brains at all, they are just weak."

The guards laughed, but their laughter soon died away as they heard a voice coming from the other side of the room. "I suggest you leave that girl alone for now. I want an explanation of what is going on."

They stiffened and immediately let the girl go, who ran towards him and hid behind his back. He arched a thin brow at this, but focused on the guards as one of them spoke. "Forgive us my Lord, but sadly this human prisoner managed to escape. We are very sorry and we swear this will never happen again."

He growled at them and they flinched. "Indeed, this will not happen again." He looked at the girl, who again gave him one of her bright smiles. He sighed as he made up his mind. It was only one prisoner, but he would certainly regret this later. He turned and walked towards the door while addressing the guards. "You will accompany this human down and out of the castle. She is to be released."

"You... you wish to let her go, my lord?"

He turned and the guards gulped as his eyes bled a bit of red. "You are questionings my orders? Do you wish for your deaths so soon?"

He turned again and walked out of the room, not wanting to listen to their pathetic apologies, about which he couldn't care less. He was halfway down the stairs when he noticed the human had followed him. He turned to look at her. "You are free to go girl," he growled. "Just leave this castle and go to your own kind."

At first, she didn't answer him, she just smiled. Then, she was so bold to tug at his pants with one of her small hands to ensure that she had his attention. "You saved Rin from bad men. Rin is very happy now! Can Rin stay, please?"

She gave him one of her smiles, and again, he felt himself going soft. Cursing these new emotions all the way to hell, he walked further without answering her. He strode all the way down the halls to his study again, all his thoughts already on the next decision he had to make about his lands. He was walking and thinking, and there was another thing that he did.

He allowed the small girl to follow him.

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_Elven castle, Southern Lands_

Sango was once again standing before her best friend's room, her fist raised before the door, about to knock. How many times had she done this before, these days? How many times had she asked Kagome to tell what was wrong, yet received no answer? But this time, she decided, she would get one.

She knocked, but there was no answer, no call from Kagome to come in, but instead of leaving, she boldly opened the door. She stepped inside, but Kagome was not there. She stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, but then she got an idea. She turned quickly, exited the room and entered the one that had been Lord Sesshoumaru's. And sure enough, Kagome was there, sitting on the bed while she hugged a pillow, staring into the distance. The little kitsune sat next to her and looked helplessly at Sango.

"She's been like this all day, hasn't she?" she asked the boy, smiling at him. As he nodded, she continued. "Would you mind waiting in the other room? I want to talk to Kagome." She expected the boy to protest, but he left quickly. Apparently, he too didn't know how to handle this.

She sat down next to her friend and gently pried her fingers of the pillow. Then, she forced Kagome to look at her. She noticed she had been crying again and a small voice inside her head accused her of being slow. She should have done this much earlier.

"Listen Kagome," she started. "You are not going to tell me this isn't important, because it is obvious that something is wrong with you. I've asked you this before, and I always left when you didn't answer. But this time, I won't leave this room until you tell me what bothers you."

As if automatically, Kagome began to speak. "It's nothing, really..."

"It has something to do with Sesshoumaru doesn't it?" she interrupted.

Kagome's jaw dropped as she looked at her. "How did you know?" then her eyes widened. "Miroku told you, didn't he?"

Sango gulped. "Yes he did, but I forced him to, really, I did."

Kagome smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I'm not mad. As long as mother or Kikyou don't find out. Because then I would really be in trouble... But whatever he told you, it's not as he says. Sesshoumaru was just helping me."

Sango snorted. "Believe it or not, that's exactly what he told me. No stupid tale that goes around in his perverted mind, no, just that. So he really helped you? But why?"

She watched how Kagome's eyes adopted a distant look. "Because he's nice." Sango raised a brow. "No really Sango, he is. Only, he doesn't show it so often. Really, I miss him so much..."

Sango gulped again and almost tumbled off of the bed. "You... you _miss_ him?! B-but... why?"

She didn't miss the way Kagome blushed a bit while peeking out at Sango from under her bangs. "I guess you're really not leaving until I tell, huh?" Sango nodded at her. "Ok then, but... promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Yes, I promise." She looked at Kagome, waiting for her answer, but she never expected to hear what her friend said next.

"I love him."

This time, she did fall off the bed in surprise. Picking herself up again, she stared openly at her friend, her jaw hanging loosely. "You... you can't be serious Kagome!" She put her hand on Kagome's forehead. "Are you feeling well? Are you sick or something?"

Kagome' cheeks tinted even more, but her look was resolute. "I am serious Sango, and no, I'm not ill."

Sango settled herself down again and opened her mouth to form what would be a long, stretched out speech. "How can you say you love him? How long have you even known him? What the hell do you even know about that ice block? Besides, he wouldn't feel about you the way you feel about him. He's a youkai Kagome, an enemy! I know now not all youkai are bad, look at Shippou! But you can't convince me _he_ isn't. What do you see in him anyway? He's such a cold and heartless person!"

"It's just the outside Sango, just the outside. But once you know the inside..." again, Kagome took on that faraway expression. "In fact, he's a good person and maybe even vulnerable, in his own way. Odd, isn't it? Sesshoumaru, the almighty Lord, vulnerable... but he is. I know things from his past that nobody else knows. I understand him. Believe me, once you have his respect, you'll see he's not that bad. And he can be very protective and loyal. He has his honour."

"I never saw it that way," Sango looked thoughtful now, but quickly switched back to her previous worried facade. "But still... you say you know him, after a few weeks, and having a vision of him? Maybe he acted a bit friendly to you, yes, but I bet you everything he didn't mean it. I bet he wanted to take the Jewel. He was trying that night, wasn't he? You had to defend yourself, but you just don't want to believe he's evil, am I right? Face it Kagome, you..."

"We kissed..."

"...cannot trust him..." Sango finished. Then, her eyes expanded as she realized what Kagome had said to her. "You ... WHAT?"

She watched as her friend turned to look at her, and she gasped as she saw the pained look in Kagome's eyes. "He left Sango, and I helped him..." Kagome closed her eyes. "I wanted him to stay, but I thought it was selfish to keep him a prisoner. I wanted him to be free, do you understand? And I really thought that he would only see me as some filthy elf, and that his behaviour meant nothing. But I'm not sure anymore... That afternoon, in the library, I could swear he was about to kiss me, only Shippou came in and then nothing happened. But then, that night..." a few silent sobs left her throat. "... before he left, he... he suddenly kissed me Sango! I don't know why, but he did it, and I know one thing for sure, now I miss him even more!"

"You... you helped him?" Sango whispered, awestruck.

"Yes I did, and I don't care if you're mad at me or not. I don't care how often you say he's bad, because he's not. And if I really have to convince you Sango, he didn't attack your village! It was Naraku all the time!" Sango's eyes widened and she hugged Kagome who just wouldn't stop crying.

"It's okay Kagome, I believe you. You know I would want you to be happy, not all miserable like this. But I can't change the fact that you two are enemies. I can't change the fact that he's at his own castle again and you are here. And I can't change that, no matter how he looks at it, nobody will probably accept this. But I promise you this, I will help you Kagome. No matter what, Miroku, Shippou and I will help you."

Sango really didn't know anymore what to think of all this, but as Kagome managed a weak smile, she knew that this was what she wanted. Kagome had helped her when she was alone and wounded, and now Kagome needed someone, so Sango would be there to help her.

"Thank you Sango," she heard Kagome murmur. "I really appreciate that..." her friend looked up at her with teary eyes. "I just wish I could see him again...."

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Kikyou sighed as she put her bow and arrows away. She had been practicing with them all afternoon, trying to get her thoughts away from Kagome. Her sister had been so silent and sad the last few days that she really began to get worried. Only, she refused to tell her anything, and so Kikyou gave up. If Kagome wanted to tell her anything, she would do it eventually, there was no need to pressure it.

There was a knock on her door, and a moment later a servant came in. "Kikyou-sama, the queen wants me to let you know that dinner is ready."

She nodded at the servant before turning to gaze out of the window with tired eyes. Sensing the woman was still there, she turned and raised her eyebrow at her. "Is there something else?"

The woman quickly bowed. "No my Lady, I was just worried. You seem to look so tired."

"Yes..." Kikyou whispered. "It has been rather busy as of late." She cocked her head as she looked at the woman. "Were you not one of Lord Sesshoumaru's prisoners?"

As the woman nodded, she sighed. "You can be glad you are free then. I can imagine your life would be a living hell now if you were still his prisoner. He would probably take it out on you and the others for what I did." Her eyes narrowed. "All those damn youkai! Why do they always have to be so homicidal?!"

The servant's eyes widened. "If I may be so bold, my lady. Lord Sesshoumaru is very cold, and I am pretty sure that he would react that way, but I do not agree that all youkai are so evil as you say."

Kikyou frowned. "Did they brainwash you or something like that? _All_ youkai are evil."

The woman shook her head. "Lord Sesshoumaru can be very evil, yes, but even he is nothing compared to Lord Naraku. And to be honest, I survived because a youkai helped me. And not only me, but also the other prisoners. I believe you know who he is, my lady. It was Lord Sesshoumaru's younger brother, Inuyasha. He used us as his servants, but that way, no one would kill us if we did our jobs right."

Kikyou's eyes widened and she watched as dazedly as the servant bowed again and left the room. She vaguely remembered how Inuyasha had acted back at the negotiations. She hadn't really needed it, but he had stood up against Naraku for talking with her like that. And now it appeared that he had been helping both elves and humans. Apparently, all she had ever heard of him was something positive, and it went against everything she ever thought of him and others of his kind. Then there was that kitsune child that Kagome was so fond of...

She shook her head. There was no reason to think of that idiot, whether it was positive or negative. She should rather think about what would happen now Lord Sesshoumaru was free again. He had been here quite a long time, and the question was, what did he see in that time? If her mother had only listened to her and locked him away, he would've seen nothing. But no, he had been free to walk around and explore the entire castle. There was no doubt in Kikyou's mind that he would use that against them. And there was also that spy, not so long ago...

As she walked down the stairs towards the dining room, she knew one thing; she had every right to be worried.

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_Eastern Lands_

The Eastern Lands were largely dominated by mountains, whose faces were littered with gaping caves. It was there that the wolf youkai lived, including their leader, Kouga. At the moment, he was sitting in one of the biggest caves in the area, having returned from his hunt. He growled at his men, urging them to do their duties. He himself relaxed, leaning against the wall of the cave, closing his eyes. He sincerely wished he could get a moment of peace. The last few weeks had been rather busy for him, and he was not satisfied with his men at all. They were far too lazy for his liking. Unfortunately for Kouga, his little moment of faint peace was soon to be interrupted.

"Oi, Kouga!" Kouga looked up from where he sat to see one of his men running towards him. "The guards spotted something up in the air, and it's coming towards us." The youkai had a doubtful look. "They swore it was a feather!"

Kouga, who had not really been listening, groaned in annoyance after hearing that last statement. 'A feather.' That could only mean one person, a person he was not really looking forward to meeting again.

Kagura. What the hell was she doing here?

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Kagura sat perfectly relaxed atop her feather, high up in the cool air. She stared down at all the openings in the mountain and raised her brow. 'Why that idiot lives in a CAVE, I will never understand,' she sighed, eying a huge waterfall that blocked the entrance to the biggest cave. 'but there is no way in hell that I'm going through that thing...' her gaze drifted towards a few guards down at the mountainside who were glaring at her with suspicion. 'At least those stupid wolves are funny enough. If I didn't know Naraku was such a bastard, I would say he wanted me to have a good time playing with these pups.'

She directed her feather towards the guards, hovering just before them. She clicked open her fan and hid her face behind it to mask the huge smirk that was now plastered on her face. "Well, well, it seems as if you are pretty worked up about something," she chuckled.

One of the guards scowled at her. "Tell us who you are and what business you have here. If not, you will leave now or we will kill you!"

This time, she laughed openly. "You, killing me? Laughable. First, I doubt you would succeed, and second, I think your leader would probably want to hear what I have to say to him."

They looked at her with amusement. "You can talk to the chief, if he wants to. And I seriously doubt you could kill us," one said.

Her smile became a bit more evil. Clicking open her fan once more, she quickly blew a few men off their feet. "Do not underestimate me; I could kill you with ease. The winds only listen to me. But while we wait for that useless wolf pup that happens to be your 'chief', why don't you just shut up?"

Her grin expanded as they growled in anger at her insult to their leader. "Did you hear that? She insulted Kouga!" one of them yelled. "We should punish her for that." He raised his spear and directed it at her. "Do you know we are talking about the Eastern Lord here? We should kill you for this!"

She almost couldn't keep herself from laughing out loud at the angry youkai in front of her, but her eyes never left the guard with the spear. She was just about to knock him off his feet, when suddenly a whirlwind appeared from behind him and the guard was sent flying through the air.

"Hmmf, stop nagging, you! Don't you know that you are speaking to one of Naraku's messengers?"

Kagura watched in disbelief as Kouga spared the guard an irritated glance. Had he really just knocked one of his guards, who was about to charge her, unconscious? However, when she had registered what he said, she forgot about it and reminded herself about what a useless idiot he was.

"Excuse me? 'One of Naraku's messengers'? You're almost acting as if I am nothing but some lousy servant of his!"

Laughing cerulean eyes twinkled mockingly at her. "Oh, I must beg you for forgiveness, but are you not?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kouga stared with amusement at Kagura. She stood there, holding her fan so hard her knuckles had paled considerably, her red eyes aflame and screaming murder at him. Oh yes, she was pissed. He had surprised himself by knocking that guard away. After all, he couldn't stand the wind sorceress and wouldn't mind if she got killed, right? Not that that guard could've actually done her much harm, but a fight was always fun to watch. Then why had he just stopped that? He mentally shook his head, and concentrated on the fact that if Kagura was here, Naraku had to have something urgent to say. This was the first time he had sent someone other than some minor servant.

He blinked and almost gulped as a fan was suddenly thrusted into his face. Focusing a bit more, he realized that Kagura was standing before him, one hand resting on her hip, and the other busy with swaying that fan before his eyes. "Listen, you stupid wolf boy! I am _not_ some lower servant, nor will I tolerate being called as such! Don't think I am here for my own pleasure. I've got a message to deliver, and after that, I'll be gone, so quit insulting me and just listen so that I can leave!"

Getting rather dizzy staring that fan waving relentlessly in front of his face, his hand shot out and he captured her wrist and moved it to the left. "Alright, alright, just spill it, witch! I'll be glad to have you gone. Now what is it that Naraku wants now?"

She didn't answer him at first, and after awhile he noticed she was staring at her wrist in shock. He could almost swear that a small blush had tinted her cheeks, but it was gone soon enough. Instead her eyes bored into his with a murderous glare. "Get your dirty hands off of me, you idiot!" she hissed. He quickly pulled his hand back and matched her glare with one of his own. Her hand came up to pull one of those weird feathers out of her hair, and she began talking while turning it into a bigger one. "Naraku wants you to get your men ready. He wants to meet you at the border of his lands in a few days."

He raised his eyebrow and watched as she gracefully mounted her feather. "And why the heck does he want me there? What's he planning now?"

The wolf prince almost shivered at the cold look Kagura fixed him with. "A _battle_, wolf boy. A really big, tough battle."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Lord Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands _

In one of the many gardens that the castle possessed, a little human was running around with joy, picking various flowers and torturing a certain toad servant. Watching them was Sesshoumaru, sitting at the base of a particularly large tree.

Rin. A small human child with the widest smile one could ever see. An innocent young girl, afraid of nothing, not even him. A little girl whom he had allowed to stay. Why he had done it, he still didn't know. But he knew one thing for sure, he was steadily getting used to her, and she was affecting him, just like Kagome had. They both had somehow found a way to break through his walls of ice, those emotional barriers he had pulled up around him.

He was trying to relax for once and so he didn't even think twice about getting up and helping Jaken as he was bombarded with loads of flowers. Or maybe he was going to to help Rin in his own way, he wasn't sure. Though no sooner than he had taken a step, something caught his attention.

A feather, up in the air, and Naraku's smell...

"Rin." The girl looked up at him with big brown eyes. "Go inside." He looked at a groaning Jaken, raising his thin brows in cruel amusement. "Jaken, stay with her."

He watched them retreat before fixing his gaze upon the woman that now stood before him. "Kagura." He acknowledged her with a nod.

She flipped open her fan and hid behind it, but he could see the amusement in her eyes and was sure she was laughing. "Well, well, well. It seems like our ice prince has somehow allowed a human and an elf into his heart..."

His eyes narrowed, but the rest of his face was still void of any emotion. "I do not know what you are rambling about. Do consider that if you go further along this line, you will not leave this castle the way you arrived."

A small laugh escaped the wind sorceress' lips. "Oh, you know full well what I am talking about, _Sesshoumaru_." Ignoring his low growl, she flicked her fan shut, finally seeming to get to business. "Yes, I know about that elf... and I saw that cute little girl just now. I just wanted to inform you that Naraku has noticed that you have returned, and is planning for a new battle. He expects you to be present."

The ice almost dripped from his voice as he spoke. "I must not be hearing right. 'He expects me to be present'... I didn't know he has become suicidal."

Kagura snorted elegantly. "He's not, I can assure you that. Unfortunately..."

"Why is it that I don't believe you? Tell him I am not going. No one orders this Sesshoumaru around."

She clicked open her fan again, making the Western Lord wish she would stop doing that. "Very well, if you want your precious elf to die..."

He almost closed his eyes in annoyance. "What is it wench? Do speak, for you are wasting my time."

Red eyes bore into gold, and he knew she had stopped playing with him for once. "I would seriously reconsider your earlier decision. This will not be one of Naraku's usual attacks, which lead to nothing. This time, he's going to get that castle and the ones who live in it and then your precious little princess will be in major trouble. If that's not enough to you, it will also mean he will get the Shikon no Tama, and I can assure you he needs that Jewel not only for power, but also for something else."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you mean? What does he need it for?"

There was a gust of wind, and when it passed, she was on her feather again. "That, I can not tell you. True, he seeks for this Jewel to overpower you and all others, but there is something else about this all. The only thing I can say to you is to show up so that you can prevent anything from happening. What you do with that advice, is not my business. Goodbye, Sesshoumaru!"

Sudden winds sent his long silver hair whipping around his face, but he did not bother to strike it away as he stared at the quickly shrinking dot in the sky that was Kagura.

So Naraku had already noticed he was back... probably because of one of his spies again. And now he was planning something. He had sincerely hoped that he could have a moment of peace without the annoying Northern Lord, but it didn't seem as if that was likely to happen anytime soon.

A sound alerted him that someone was approaching, and turning, he saw it was Rin, with a bunch of flowers clutched in her tiny little hands. "What is going on, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked quietly.

He turned to look in the distance again, thinking about what Kagura had said. Naraku would get the castle this time... he let out a low growl at that. What if Kagura was right? Then a lot of elves and humans would die, which didn't bother him, but what did bother him was that SHE would be in danger... And of course, there was also the Shikon no Tama...

"Rin," she cocked her head as she listened to him. "You will have to stay with Jaken for awhile now."

Her eyes became a bit sad and she pouted. "Why Sesshoumaru-sama? Jaken is so grumpy."

The taiyoukai narrowed his eyes, and they took on a look that could freeze nearly anyone to the spot. "Because, Rin, I will be leaving soon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And I'm back again... after a long, long time... but really, you can hardly imagine how busy I am! This is the toughest year of school, I just have to make sure that I make it... so, homework goes first! :P But, before I'm going to respond all your reviews, I'd like to thank ElvenYoukai for doing such a wonderful job on this chapter! Yep, she offered to check it for me, so don't go around praising me about my grammar or something, because it was her work. (yes, you're the best, I'll just dedicate this chapter to you, ok?)

Anyway, I'll hurry up and do the next chapter as soon as I can. And for those who are REALLY depressed about Kagome and Sesshoumaru being separated, I can assure you, it won't be for long... so, please review? (hehe, sorry, I just had to ask)

**DemonWicca:** Don't worry, there won't be another Nile river soon... at least not at the end of the story...

**Robin's-hope:** Wow, I lot of people seem to be crying while reading the last chapter... Yes, Shippou had to disturb them (actually, that way a lot of people thought that THE kiss still didn't happen, only they were proven wrong at the end of the chapter... lol) Thanks for wishing me good luck!

**ElvenYoukai: **I have the computer all for myself again looks sad only sometimes its only 2 hours a day... and thanks again for checking this chapter!

**REDWOLF:** No need to be sorry... I can't stand Kikyou in general, so don't be sorry if you can't stand her in this story... Kagome will be stronger later on, it's just, Sesshoumaru simply had to save her a few times...

**Earth-Goddess: **I'm so sorry I still didn't respond... I totally forgot about it. Should I just mail the whole story?

**Jirurianu: **Ah yes, 'few' and 'view'... If I don't pay attention, I always mix these two up... grrr... frustrating, really... And chapter 8 is a bit confusing, yes, but it's not wrong... I should've done that one different... If you like chapter 9, you'll surely like chapter 14... My first language by the way is Dutch...

**LordIronDuke126:** I know, Kagome's power is always pink in the anime and manga... Don't know why I made it blue... maybe I was sick of all the pink... If it was intentional, I don't know yet... maybe... I always think of some kind of story and I decide on details later on... Kagura will have a bigger part, especially later on in the story. It's a pity she died in the manga, isn't it?

**Crescent Moon's Goddess Nya: **They won't be separated for long, after all this IS a romance, and that's a bit difficult if they don't see each other... probably they will see each other in the next chapter already, or else in the one after that...

**Clavira: **Sorry if that was out of character, but I needed him to be away from there...

**Lady Lydia: **Yes they will be good guys...

**Faithful Firefly: **Actually, the way I have been updating as of lately (every 2 or 3 weeks) is a bit slow for me, but I can't help it now, it's because of school... thanks for the compliment anyway!

**Yuki Tsukiyo: **I agree with you that the part with the youkai dying was a bit short... only I was afraid I would get such an incredibly long chapter... Turns out, I could've easily made it a bit longer, look at this chapter... groans it's so long...

**Foxdemon113: **Thanks for wishing me good luck!

**Dark-elmo: **Hehe... Shippou can be annoying yes...

And of course thanks to all who reviewed! Where would I be without you ? Lol...


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Destruction

_**Chapter Sixteen: Destruction**_

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands

In one of the many gardens that Lord Sesshoumaru's castle possessed, a young human girl was running around in a field of flowers, trying to pick all of them at once. Every once in awhile, she would make a delighted sound, and pick up another brightly coloured blossom, smelling it and turning it around in her tiny little hands.

She stopped running and narrowed her eyes as she looked over a particularly large red flower at the toad-like creature standing a few feet away from her. The stout youkai's arms were crossed in front of his chest, and scowl was positioned on his face. The girl pouted slightly. "Don't you like flowers, Jaken-sama?" she queried in her sing-song voice.

He only grumped a bit, but as she started to walk towards him, he took a step back and raised his staff. "Don't be ridiculous, human! I am the loyal servant of Lord Sesshoumaru and I should be treated with respect! I…arrrgggg!"

He let out a yelp as she bombarded him with all the flowers she had been holding at the moment. Looking extremely angry, he pointed his staff at her, trying to look intimidating, but it wasn't really working with all the flowers on his head and clothes. "Only because my Lord has been so foolish enough to let you around doesn't mean I will show mercy on you!" he bit out.

Rin only giggled at the ridiculous toad, as she picked up another flower and thrust it in his face. "Here, Rin thinks this one smells really good!" she stated. Despite his rude behaviour towards her, she somehow liked this youkai. He may snap at her, but he didn't really mean everything he said. And he was just so funny when he was angry like that!

Of course, the person she was _really_ fond of was totally different from this youkai. Rin smiled as she pictured '_her _Sesshoumaru-sama', seeing in her mind's eye his long silver hair, beautiful face and graceful appearance.

She had been extremely scared when they had brought her here. She was only an orphan. Her parents had died long ago, and she had been so young that it was hard for her to remember them now. Since then, the people in her village had allowed her to stay, but she had had to manage on her own, finding food for herself and taking care of everything that she needed. The only things she sometimes got were a few spare, dirty and outgrown clothes.

Then, the village was attacked by these youkai soldiers. Everything had burned down, almost everyone was killed, and only a few survived, including her, but they were captured and brought to this castle. She was terrified, but she wasn't stupid, so she figured out a plan to escape. Only, her plan went didn't go along as well as she had hoped, and she could not find her way out of the castle, so she hid up in one of the towers.

And that was when _he_ came. He hadn't looked that friendly, but somehow, she had trusted him, and he had saved her from those 'bad men' as she used to call them. Now, he had allowed her to stay, given her a room of her own, food, and… lots of flowers to pick. It was more than she could ever ask for. Little Rin was as happy as ever, and not even an annoyed and irritating toad could change that.

But, Rin was also a bit hyper at times, and so she decided it was time for a new game. Forgetting about the flowers, she began to run away and giggled as Jaken protested. "Come on Jaken-sama, you have to try and catch Rin!" she squealed.

She kept running and running, followed by an angry Jaken, who couldn't keep up with her and already dreaded the moment he had to explain to his master that he had lost the girl…again.

* * *

Servants walking down the halls close to Sesshoumaru's study quickly scurried out of the way as a blur of red and silver stormed through the halls, knocking every one off of their feet, smashing not so cheap vases on the ground and in general creating an enormous mess and producing an extremely loud noise.

The door to Sesshoumaru's study was kicked open, and Inuyasha strode in, plopped down on one of the chairs, crossing his arms for his chest, fixing an angry expression on his face.

His ever-composed brother didn't even look up from his work, opting instead to keep signing documents in his neat handwriting. "A good day to you too, my _dear_ brother," he spoke, eyes still lingering on the papers in front of him. "I trust you had a good morning?" No answer. "Tell me, which part of 'do not enter my study ever again for I will kill you' did you not understand? I had thought it was quite clear enough, as even Jaken seems to understand it."

"A good morning indeed," Inuyasha growled at his brother. "I get up, and the first thing I hear is that you are going to war again with that asshole that calls himself Naraku. Did you go insane or something?"

Taking his eyes from his documents for the first time, Sesshoumaru gave his brother a blank look. "Apparently, I did, for it seems like I have given you consent to take a seat. Then again, I have not become insane, for I actually did not give you such permission."

Inuyasha jumped to his feet and slammed his fist on Sesshoumaru's desk, causing a particularly large pile of papers to topple. "Keh, stop avoiding the subject Sesshoumaru! I want to know why the hell you agreed to join him! We owe him nothing, let him deal with his own business!"

The look he received from his brother had become a bit more annoyed. "The last time I checked, it was still I, Sesshoumaru, who was Lord of the Western Lands, and therefore, you should stop questioning my decisions and merely go along with them. It is not as if you have a choice."

"But -" Inuyasha began.

"Perhaps," his brother sneered. "You should remind yourself of the fact that Naraku is still our ally. Are you so mundane that you have forgotten it already?"

"I don't care if he's an ally or not, and I know you don't like him either. So what is this? Some 'act of revenge' because these elves managed to kick your holy ass!"

Inuyasha was yelling now, and for a moment, the brothers stared each other down, each one of them angry in his own way. Inuyasha with a scowl on his face, furious and growling, Sesshoumaru the ever collected person, an image of total gracefulness, but with a more deadly glare in his golden eyes.

Of course, Sesshoumaru was the one with the most self control, and he only spared his brother a slight glance before he set his pen to paper again. "No one in this world has managed to 'kick my holy ass' as you so eloquently put it. Now leave my study, but I warn you, the next time you come in like this, I will kill you for certain."

Inuyasha remained where he was, staring thoughtfully at his brother. "They did something to you, didn't they?" he failed to notice how the form of his brother stiffened just a little. "You're… different somehow, more thoughtful than you used to be. And there's that human girl who's around you every day now. Why didn't you kill her? It's what you would've done a few months ago. Remember your rule? _'Humans and elves are filth and therefore should be treated as such'_? Whatever happened to that? Are you breaking your own rules now?"

A silence fell, and tension hung thick in the air, but it soon disappeared as Inuyasha found himself lifted off the ground with one of his brothers deadly clawed hands wrapped around his neck, squeezing the life out of him.

"Leave the girl out of this," Sesshoumaru hissed, baring his fangs. "You know nothing, you imbecile. We go to war with Naraku, and that is it, end of story. Now leave, if you value your life."

At that, Inuyasha was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, his brother already on his way back towards his desk, face blank once more, as if nothing had happened. However, there was a short knock on the door, and Inuyasha watched with amusement how a moment later, a very uncomfortable looking Jaken came in, squirming under his master's cold glare.

"M-my Lord… I… I m-must…"

"Jaken," the toad gulped as a pair of murderous golden eyes bore into his. "Stop stuttering and say what you have to say. You are wasting my time otherwise, and you know very well what that means."

"It's the girl my Lord," he mumbled, cowering under his Lord's gaze. "The stupid hu-… I mean, _she_, the girl, she… she escaped."

Golden eyes were narrowed, and the toad ducked reflexively as his master approached him, but instead of getting beaten up, his master just walked straight past him and out of the door, leaving a slightly stunned brother and a relieved toad behind.

'_Yes,'_ Inuyasha thought, _'different indeed…'_

* * *

He moved with long, elegant strides through the halls of his castle, his face as cold as ever but his golden eyes aflame. How _dare_ his brother, that worthless being, analyse him like that? So he was different, huh? He looked a passing servant right in the eye and watched with satisfaction how the boy froze in terror. No, he had not changed, he was still as frightening as ever.

But as he thought of why he was now walking through his castle, sniffing at the air in the hope of catching the scent of a small human girl, he realised that he had broken his rules, and that maybe, he had changed after all, if only around a few people. A few people; meaning a human girl and an elven princess. With a low growl, he shook his head as he tried to remove the mental image of a smiling young elf with black hair and dark brown eyes. He didn't succeed until he suddenly caught the scent of the young human and followed it to the courtyard. So this was where she had run off to this time…

Unbeknownst to him, his eyes softened somewhat as he thought of Rin. Somehow, in the past few days, the little girl had found a way in his heart. He couldn't deny her anything, especially as she looked up at him with those big puppy eyes of hers. That he was so worried now only proved what she meant to him, even while he was still denying it.

As he strode into the courtyard, his eyes travelled over the multitude of soldiers walking around, trying to catch sight of a small girl in a vibrantly coloured kimono. He would leave that evening to join Naraku, so his army was already gathering, and he knew for sure that this was no place for little Rin to stay. Only it was nearly impossible to explain that to the energetic girl.

Following his nose, he finally found her talking to a general whom he knew hated humans with a passion. However, that same general stood now slightly smiling down at the girl, and Sesshoumaru marvelled at the girl's ability to capture everyone's heart. Still, he didn't trust it one bit, so he walked up to them and quickly pulled the girl behind him, levelling the general with a cold glare.

The youkai took a step back and bowed. "My apologies my Lord, I found her walking around and decided to bring her back, I ensure you that…"

He inclined his head slightly. "You are dismissed," he informed the other bluntly, before he turned and walked away.

They walked for a few minutes, he with his long strides, Rin pattering after him with her tiny little feet, until she suddenly came level with him and tugged at his sleeve. He stopped and looked down at her, noting how her face looked a bit troubled. "What is it Rin?" he asked, almost softly.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, why is everyone scared of you? Do they hate you?"

He blinked at the girl and raised his brow. "Of course they are scared." _'And they should be, or else something would be wrong'_ he added mentally. "But what makes you think they would hate me?"

"I heard them talk. They said that 'at times you were a cold hearted bastard'." Suddenly, she brightened and looked up at him with a smile. "But don't worry, Rin likes you!"

He frowned, but somewhat reluctantly patted her head, earning a squeal from the excitable child. He watched as she began to skip along again and followed her, listening to her joyful humming. So they called him 'a cold hearted bastard'? An evil smirk appeared on his beautiful face. Well, let them think that, it would not harm him. And if it got any worse, he would just dispose of them. He needed loyal soldiers, especially if he was to attack together with Naraku. He didn't look forward to it at all, but Kagura's words had haunted him every day since he had seen her… He was seriously worried about that one girl that he just couldn't forget. As long as she didn't think of him as 'a cold hearted bastard'… The others could think what the wanted for all he cared.

As long as they feared him, that is.

* * *

Elven castle, Southern Lands

"I see that you have succeeded."

Sango turned, groaning as Miroku came walking towards her with a bright, lecherous smile on his face. Instinctively, she took a step away from him as he came to stand next to her. She glanced warily at him before following his gaze into the direction of a large part of the garden with beautiful flowers and a lot of spare room, where Kagome was laughing and playing with Shippou, the past days of crying and depression seemingly forgotten.

"Perhaps," she murmured, eyeing her friend with satisfaction, as she was obviously enjoying herself for once.

The monk standing by her side, however, raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean by 'perhaps'? She looks a lot better to me…"

Sango sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Miroku. "I bet you everything that part of it is still fake. You were right in your assumption that something was going on between them. She loves him you know…" she saw his eyes widen, even though he had already expected it in a way. "But he left, and the pain that that caused won't go away so easily."

"Yes, yes, I know what you mean… He hasn't said anything to her?"

Sango frowned at him. "Not all men are as forward as you are with women, Houshi-sama. If he, as you seem to think, does feel something for her, he hasn't said anything about it. But something did happen." At Miroku's curious look, she shook her head. "No, I'm not going to tell you. I've already told you too much. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone she loves him, but I thought you should know as you realised it anyway, but further I will keep my mouth shut."

Miroku shrugged. "It's okay, really… this way, I've still got something on which I can set my imagination loose…" He smiled nervously at the glare he received from Sango, but fortunately, Kagome choose that exact moment to succumb to a laughing fit as Shippou stumbled and fell flat on his nose.

"But she does look better, that's for sure…" Sango mumbled as she watched her friend again.

"Hn," was Miroku's not so interesting reply as his hand slowly began to drift downwards.

"I really hope she stays like this."

"Hn."

"But I doubt we could do much for her."

"Hn."

"I doubt she will ever even see him again…"

"Hn."

"AND YOU ARE THE WORST PERVERT I'VE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!"

"Hn… wh-what?"

BAM!

* * *

Kagome watched how Shippou struggled to stand, still laughing at the comical scene of him tripping and falling flat on his face. Deciding it was enough torture for him, she approached him and helped him up. She was just about to say something to him, as they heard a loud noise, and turning, they saw an unconscious monk on the ground and an angry taiji stomping off into the direction of the castle. The corners of her mouth began to lift a bit, and she and Shippou looked at each other before they burst out laughing once again.

"They…they are just so funny," the boy sniggered, and Kagome nodded in agreement.

"Hai, they are. I've seen this so many times but it's still funny. Poor Miroku, he never learns…," she looked from the monk to the kitsune again and gave him a bright smile, as she noticed he was staring at her, looking slightly troubled. She raised her eyebrow a bit but continued smiling at him. "What is it, Shippou-chan?"

"It's just, I'm so happy here! But… but there's just something I wanted to ask you…" he shifted timidly, but appeared to be encouraged by her smile. "Do you like me?"

Kagome's smiled broadened and she patted him on his head. "Like you, Shippou-chan? Of course I do!"

The boy's face lit up, but he was still fidgeting as he asked his next question. "I… I just wanted to ask, if you… if you would want to be my mother?"

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked at the sweet little kitsune in front of her. His eyes were downcast, and he was still fumbling with his clothes, as if he was afraid she would say no. But Kagome knew that she had grown fond of him, and that she couldn't deny him anything. So what she said next, made him grin ecstatically and run around in joy before jumping into her arms.

"Yes … Of course."

* * *

Two days later

A valley, close to the Elven Castle

It was always the same. How many times hadn't he seen the effects war had on everything; people dying, whole castles burnt down to ashes, entire lands destroyed? How many times hadn't he participated in it himself, killing people with his own claws? And how many times hadn't he watched the same scene that was now unfolding in front of him?

He watched with his indifferent mask firmly in place as his army and those of the other Lords marched south, thousands of soldiers steadily walking in the direction of a castle full of humans and elves, who were still oblivious to the danger that was fast approaching, one that would very likely bring their end.

For this time, he could swear their armies were bigger, a lot larger than they had been all those years prior. It was as if Naraku had merely been toying with them all until this day, and that now he was really coming to business. He watched the Northern Lord, who was riding next to him, as he sat on his horse, a wicked smile on his face that had been there all day and would surely stay for quite a while.

He looked for him again as the face of a certain person came floating before his eyes. Kagome… they were steadily getting closer to her… and he didn't like it one bit. With every minute passing, he began to believe that wind sorceress more and more: that this time, Naraku would get the castle. So his worry mounted as they approached the elven stronghold.

He closed his eyes for a moment and immediately, her image came fluttering before his eyes again. Her long, black hair, brown eyes, that smooth skin… With every second that passed, more memories of her came floating towards him. Her laughing with pure joy in her eyes, her disoriented and scared look when she had a vision, her soft voice when she was singing… he could almost swear he could smell her scent… but with every second, the memories became darker, and she was no longer walking in a garden full of flowers, but walking along the corridors off a destroyed castle, screams and loud noises everywhere…

"Well, well Lord Sesshoumaru, I didn't know you could sleep even while sitting on the back of a horse…"

His eyes snapped open again to send an annoyed glare in the direction of Naraku before he replied. "This Sesshoumaru does not sleep."

"Hmmmm… then perhaps you were already going through your battle tactics?" a low chuckle was heard and he didn't need to look beside him to know that the Northern Lord had a particular nasty expression on his face. "Deciding on which points to attack, starting with the weakest parts of course, and…"

"I am not aware of any weakness that this castle possesses," Sesshoumaru interrupted him rudely. Of course he did know some, but he would be damned if he told Naraku about even the slightest crack in the walls.

However, Naraku continued as if the other lord hadn't said a thing. "Oh come Sesshoumaru, you've been there for so long now… and any warrior would have taken that opportunity to get to know a bit more."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the other. "What makes you think that I had the ability to do so? After all, if you are locked away there isn't much to explore."

"Yes, yes, I am aware of that, but you might've seen something … you never know…"

The Western Lord's glare would have killed anyone who looked at him, but the only thing he saw of Naraku was his back as the Northern Lord rode away from him, towards the head of the army. Did he know that Sesshoumaru hadn't been locked up? He was sure now, that spy was indeed Naraku's… that only left the question, how much did that bastard know of _her_?

Was she in more danger now?

* * *

Elven castle, Southern lands

"NO!"

Kagome shot up, her feet tangled in the blankets on her bed, her hair messy, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. Shippou looked afraid, but she just stared at the wall, her heart pounding like mad. She had had such a horrible dream… their castle in ruins, everyone running along the halls, panicked faces and screams everywhere… And even now that she was awake, she still felt weird, and still had this heavy, foreboding feeling, that left her breathless and scared.

"Okaa-san? What is it? Are you alright?" Shippou was bouncing around her, looking her all over, but she ignored him as she suddenly heard noises from outside.

The guards… _shouting_…

Quickly, she stood up, ran past an obviously confused Shippou, opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside, her eyes scanning the area around the castle. She heard a gasp to her side, and her jaw dropped as she forgot to breathe all together.

True, it was a familiar sight, all those soldiers approaching, the sound of their feet moving, the screams from within the castle, soldiers and guards running around, panic everywhere. Oh, it had happened so often … for years, but this time, she felt her legs become weak at the sight of such a large army, and she took a step back, leaning against the wall.

She wanted to scream 'no, not again, why does this have to happen?' but she knew that it wouldn't help, knew that the only thing that they could do now was fight and hope that they would survive. It had happened so many times, and every time it was okay, so why would worse anything happen now? They would just win again, the armies of the other Lords would disappear, and she would look after the injured soldiers. But why was she feeling so scared this time? Why did she have this strange feeling resting in her stomach?

And wait a minute… 'the armies of the other Lords'… was… was _he_ here? Would _he_ attack them? Abruptly, she turned and rushed into the room again, dressed quickly, grabbed Shippou's hand and ran down the stairs.

She smiled reassuringly at him as he looked up at her. "It's going to be alright Shippou, don't worry, this has happened before. Now, I want you to stay inside, and wait for me, okay? And if… if something happens, hide, do you understand me?"

As he nodded, she ran further, intending to find her mother and sister, so they could decide what to do. But as they were running along the halls, failed to notice something.

She wasn't carrying a certain pink Jewel around her neck…

* * *

He didn't have to wait long. Not long at all. It was only a matter of a few hours, before his surroundings became more familiar and he recognised the hills and forests that surrounded the elven castle. He looked indifferent, but as suddenly the castle came into view, he felt something.

For the first time in years, he felt different, almost hesitant to fight. That castle, no matter how beautiful it was, had never brought any reaction out of him other than disgust. It was filled with humans and elves, foolish creatures, either weak, or stupid enough to keep a dangerous object like the Shikon no Tama, and so they were hardly worth his time, and he would never hesitate to kill, for there was nothing but animosity inside him. But now… now, after he had spent so much time there… Oh, he still loathed humans, thought of them as weak, and felt those elves were rather stupid, but somehow, as he thought of the upcoming battle, killing didn't seem so easy today, because he knew, no matter how unimportant a dead human or elf would be to him, there was at least one person that would be upset with their death.

And again, every second that passed brought them closer to this castle, and closer to yet another fight. He noticed his brother beginning to shift uncomfortably on his horse, muttering under his breath. It appeared that he too didn't really like the concept of fighting again. He almost snorted as he observed his brother. Yes, he really did have a weak spot somewhere for humans and elves, only where he got that, the elder sibling would probably never understand.

But maybe he did understand him… He growled a bit as yet another memory came to the front of his mind, and instead he focused on the situation at hand. Finally, after marching quit a long way, they had reached the castle. Quickly, he made sure his soldiers were all standing in line and ready for battle.

He discarded his horse and turned to walk towards Naraku as he saw a lone figure of a woman with brown hair standing on the walls. For a moment his heart stopped, but it was only a matter of seconds before he began to growl. It was just her sister, that stupid woman who had dared defy him. No matter, she would eventually get her punishment.

He walked with long elegant strides to the place where he had spotted Naraku earlier. The other Lord, Kouga, had already joined the Northern Lord and was yelling at him. He winced slightly at the sound and let out a low growl. Sometimes he couldn't decide who was worse, his brother or this one.

"What do you mean, you are not going to attack! What's the purpose of coming here if you don't want to fight!" the wolf demon shouted while making angry gestures with his hands. "Shit, if I'd known this, I never would've come!"

Golden eyes narrowed at the evil demon that was listening to the Eastern Lord's rant with a smug expression on his face. He didn't want to attack? His gaze shifted to a certain wind sorceress, pinning her to the spot with his gaze, but she ignored him. What was going on here? However, before he could ask, Naraku himself decided to enlighten them a bit.

"Calm down my friend," Sesshoumaru almost shuddered at the sweet tone the Northern Lord used. "Who said I wasn't going to attack at all? We just wait a little bit longer. There's no need to rush into things, don't you say, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Said Lord only snorted and looked arrogantly at the other. "And how long are you planning to wait? Hours, days?"

Naraku chuckled evilly. "Now, now, calm down, all of you. It won't be hours, and certainly not days. No, you won't have to wait THAT long…"

Kouga 'humpfed' and walked away, seemingly satisfied with the answer, but Sesshoumaru was not a fool. Looking at Naraku and catching the meaningful look Kagura now sent him, he knew one thing for sure.

That bastard was planning something.

* * *

On top of the castle's wall stood the lone figure of a tall and slender woman, calmly regarding the large army in front of her, her brown eyes taking in everything. Kikyou knew that it was dangerous to stand here like this, but she paid no heed to it. However calm she might have looked on the outside, inside she was slowly starting to get worried.

She knew she was neither stupid nor inexperienced, and she had confidence in herself, but she also knew that an army as vast this one had never been seen before. Her eyes travelled along the rows and rows of soldiers, and it was with some bitterness that she noted that the Western Lord was also present with his army. She recognised the huge white dogs on their attire. It worried her, because the Western Lord had been free to explore the castle as much as he wanted, and that could only mean one thing: trouble. She had no idea what weakness he may have found, but she realised that she didn't even want to think about it.

She narrowed her eyes as she suddenly caught some red and silver moving about. Down there, on the ground, in the midst of his army, stood the oh so mighty Sesshoumaru, but she looked right past him to the figure clad in red. There was a lot of distance between them, but she easily recognised Inuyasha as he sat on his horse. Somehow, she felt even more bitterness at the fact that he too would be fighting against them. The way he helped her not so long ago made her doubt the fact that he was evil, but now she'd forgotten entirely about that. It seemed like he was just another stupid youkai, another evil being, bent on destruction.

She turned and quickly walked away, down the stairs and into the courtyard. Soldiers ran past her to take their position at the walls, and the courtyard was full of women and children moving towards the castle.

"Kikyou!"

She turned around and saw her sister running up to her. Following closely were the taiji and the monk. Kagome seemed to be rather panicked. Her hair was in a mess, and it looked as if she had dressed herself rather hurriedly.

"Kikyou, what is happening out there? Are they attacking!" Kagome asked with large eyes and Kikyou's heart ached. Again, there would be an attack, and again, her sister was scared of it. It was not fair, and it was not what she wished for Kagome. Her sister hardly knew what peace was, just like she herself could barely imagine how it would be without all these fights.

"No, Kagome, they are not attacking us… at least, not yet."

Kagome seemed to be a bit relieved, but Sango narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, not yet?"

Kikyou looked at the walls that were now blocking the army from view, though the noise they were making was quite audible. "They are planning something. I can feel it."

"So you feel it too… did you also see it?"

They all turned around to look at Kagome, who had bent her head and seemed to be staring at the ground. "What do you mean, Kagome?" Miroku whispered quietly.

Kagome looked up at them, and Kikyou frowned as she saw the frightened look her sister gave them. "They are going to take it." A single tear ran down her cheek. "They are going to take the castle. Kikyou, you have to send everyone that is not needed away. You _have_ to!"

Kikyou stiffened as she saw how panicked her sister was. Could it be true? Had she seen something again? However, before she could answer, the guards shouted something once more.

Quickly, the four of them climbed the stairs in order to stand at the walls. A guard came running towards them and bowed. Kikyou nodded at him, and he began to speak.

"Kikyou-sama, we have spotted some movement among the enemy." He pointed somewhere towards the back of the army. "We believe that they may attack soon."

Kikyou nodded at them. "Very well, make sure that…"

She fell silent, and everyone followed her gaze to find a lone figure up in the air. "Is that…?" Miroku narrowed his eyes as he looked on.

"Yes," Kikyou whispered. "That is Naraku…"

* * *

Kagome's heart began to speed up as she saw the demon up in the air. What was he doing? What was he planning? Suddenly, the air around him seemed to darken, and that foreboding feeling began to grow. She watched, along with the others, as a dark purple cloud seemed to form around him.

"What is he doing?" she heard Sango whisper next to her.

There was absolute silence as everyone looked on. Kagome clenched her fists at her side. This was not good, she could just feel it. This was dangerous. This… Her eyes suddenly widened as waves of that same purple were sent them.

"This is not good!" she yelled as she clutched her sister's arm. "Kikyou, I told you this was different!"

There was a tense pause before Sango voiced all their thoughts out loud. "But, what is it?"

Kikyou quickly erected a barrier, but it had no effect whatsoever. Kagome gulped and slowly took a step back. "Kikyou… I really think you should listen to me… send everyone away…"

"Get down to the courtyard!" Kikyou screamed. They all ran away but turned as they heard a scream. The purple cloud had reached the walls and… they just seemed to melt away. A guard was too slow and was soon surrounded by it. All they heard was his fearful shout as he was blocked from their view.

They all held their hands in front of their faces as breathing suddenly became difficult. Kagome shivered but took a step forward, ignoring the others as they cried out her name. "It's poison… miasma…" she whispered. Her hands began to glow blue and suddenly she threw them out in front of her and sent a huge wave of her power at the miasma. Kikyou joined her and together they tried to purify it.

Slowly, the purple mess began to lessen, but it did not disappear. Elves and humans were forced to flee inside the castle, and Kagome noticed her sister becoming very apprehensive. "Kikyou?" she glanced nervously at her sister. "It is too much… we won't make it!"

Kikyou gritted her teeth. "I don't know. I'm afraid they will attack after this, as we are either all dead, or inside the castle. This is not working. Go inside, gather everyone that is not able or necessary to fight and make sure they leave the castle. You are right, this might go very, very wrong."

"B-but… I have to help you!" Kagome looked with wide eyes at the miasma that was still coming towards them.

"No, Kagome! You leave the castle, together with Mother and the others. I promise you, if it gets too dangerous, I will pull back. Just go, and be safe!"

Tears swam in her eyes, but Kagome forced herself to turn and run into the castle. She had known, just after she woke up, that this would be different than other times. And as usual, she was right. How she hated it. Couldn't she be wrong at least once in her life!

Just before she entered the castle, she glanced over her shoulder once more and watched Kikyou continue to purify the miasma, as Sango and Miroku began to gather their army and prepared themselves to fight, saw every soldier looking rather frightened, standing at their positions, becoming a bit more visible through the purple mess, while they stared at the wall, the only solid thing that now stood between them and their enemies.

The question was, how much longer would they stand?

* * *

High up in the air was not only Naraku, but also another person, sitting on a large feather, observing it all. Kagura shuddered as she remembered how Lord Sesshoumaru had reacted earlier, that murderous look he wore, as Naraku suddenly rose up in the air and started to use his miasma. Oh, she knew about this attack, but the evil Northern Lord had not shown it in public before. He had his secrets, and he played with them all, at least, that was the way she had seen it.

For example, the thing she was supposed to do now. Why he hadn't used this tactic before was a mystery, even to her, who knew his ways better than others ever would. Although… now that she thought of it, they had used it before, decades ago, but the elves had been quick to see through it. It was indeed rather simple, but if unnoticed, could be deadly. And now, their chances of succeeding were higher than ever, considering the huge purple cloud of miasma that sufficiently blocked the sight of even elven eyes.

With a rueful smile, she brought up her fan. To her, she was truly cursed. Cursed to always bring misfortune upon people who she didn't even know, who she didn't hate at all. Cursed to always follow her so called 'father's' orders, and in doing so turning herself into quite the mass murderer. How many people had she slain? She didn't know anymore, but it was a large number, that she was sure of.

Getting as close as she could to that huge cloud of miasma, she could just distinguish a few dead bodies, both elf and human, who were not as fortunate the others and hadn't been able to evacuate the walls quickly enough. Of course they were, as one could say, rather 'damaged' by the poison, but to her they could still be very useful. With a flick of her wrist, dead bodies began to move again, slowly walking to the direction of the gates.

With worried eyes, she looked at the elves, still a good distance away, the elder princess still purifying the miasma while the others tried to gather themselves again in a more arranged line. The miasma began to clear a bit more, and as she let the dead bodies walk rather slowly, she prayed to every god that might exist that the elves would be able to see what was going on right under their noses.

There were just a few feet left before they reached the gate, and nothing had happened. The elves still saw nothing, nor could they get any closer because of the miasma. She noticed that their armies had begun to approach, and soon started to attack, diverting the attention of the elves to other parts of the castle than just the gates. Not that they could attack there, since the miasma was still very strong at that point, and youkai too were affected by it.

Kagura's lips set in a thin line as she could do nothing but carry out the order that a certain bastard had given her earlier on. Slowly, the dead bodies, fully under her command, moving only as she wished them to, began to open the gates. At last, as the miasma was almost gone and one could finally see what was happening, an alert guard began to raise alarm as he saw what was going on.

But Kagura realised that the gods didn't seem to like to listen to her…

Arrows began flying towards the dead soldiers, others, still alive, began to run towards them, the elders among them now perhaps remembering the same trick from long ago. But they were too late…

They altered in their steps as the gates swung open, horror on their faces. Their commander and princess carried a rather murderous look on her face, and Kagura could only hope that such a look would be once be directed once upon Naraku, and have an effect too. She watched the princess begin to order everyone to pull back and, and saw the soldiers running back to the castle. Arrows had already been sent after them by their own soldiers, and a few elves were not lucky enough to reach the castle. They died on that very courtyard, only a few feet away from the castle's doors.

Kagura clicked her fan shut and dropped her hand, the dead bodies falling to the ground again. She had done her job…

… and she would always regret it…

* * *

"Be careful, you could fall! Come on, I know you're tired but we have to hurry!"

Hundreds of people, both elves and humans, were hurrying through a tunnel, not quite running but still walking at a quick pace. Some torches were lit as the humans in this group couldn't see that well in the dark. They created rather scary shadows on the walls that only darkened the mood.

Kagome was walking somewhere in the middle. Her mother had been with her but not so long ago left to walk at the front, leading their people away from the castle. It was all women, children, and elderly people, only those who fought in their army had stayed behind.

Shippou was with her and looked up at her in awe as she kept pointing out rather dangerous spots on the ground, which one could trip over, and urging them to go on. These secret passageways had been made hundreds of years ago, when the castle was first built. Although the elves didn't compete in war that often, as they were rather peaceful people, they still thought a lot about their safety, and they weren't foolish. Someone clearly came upon the idea that maybe, in the future, they would need a way to escape, and Kagome was grateful to that person.

Still, she was worried. She had hurried back into the castle, searched for her mother and together they started to gather everyone that was not needed to stay, and leaving almost everything behind, they fled through this tunnel. But it hadn't been used in a long, long time, and the ground was so uneven, and their group so large, and they must still have been very close to the castle. That was the first thing that had her in such a restless state.

The second was that her sister, friends and others were still at the castle. She had no doubt that this time, things would go wrong and she rather would have had her sister and the others with them now. But she also knew that they shouldn't give up the castle without a fight…

She again began to think about the reason why they were in danger like this, why there was a war in the first place. As usual, her hand came up to touch the pink Jewel that hung around her neck, and normally she would have totally spaced out now and be lost in her thoughts about how unfair this all was.

However, that was not the case this time around.

A small gasp left her throat as instead of feeling a chain around her neck with the pink Jewel on it, her hand met nothing but her skin. Quickly, she thrust the torch in her other hand to some servant who just passed, ignoring said servant's curious look. Frantically, she began to feel around her neck, to check her clothes, but no… nothing…

Another gasp escaped her, and she took a step back and leaned against the wall. She ignored the hard stone pressing into her back, her eyes wide as she realised what this meant.

She had somehow lost the Shikon no Tama. She hadn't noticed it. Naraku was probably going to take the castle. And the Shikon no Tama was somewhere in there. Unprotected.

She clenched her fists at her sides, her eyes darkening as her panic morphed into anger. Anger, directed solely on herself. How could she loose it? How? So many battles were fought over this Jewel, and here she was, a stupid, clumsy elf, and she lost it!

She began to look around, eyeing everyone around her. Should she raise an alarm? Should she let some of these people go back, and risk their lives to get the Jewel?

No, she wouldn't do that. This was her own fault. She had lost it, so she had to find it again. She wouldn't risk another life because of her stupidity. That decided, she smiled down at the little kitsune by her side. There was no way that she would allow him to come with her.

"Shippou, I want to know how my mother is doing, but I can't leave here. I have to help these people. Would you be so kind as to see how she's doing? Maybe you should even stay there, at the front."

The child's innocent eyes widened. "No okaa-san, I'm not leaving you!"

She smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "You're not leaving me! You'll just be walking at the front. I'll see you again when we arrive!"

The small child nodded, and began to run to the front of their group, his youkai eyes guiding him through the dark in which humans would be nothing but blind.

She stayed close to the wall, trying to remain calm, waiting for everyone to pass. The people walking by didn't notice her, and once they were gone, she wasted no time, turning around and running straight back towards the castle.

It had been quite awhile before her ears picked up the sound of feet moving and silent talking. She frowned, but then her eyes widened. Of course, her sister and the others! But that would mean… was their castle taken!

As she spotted a niche not so far from her, she quickly hid in it, and with tears in her eyes watched her sister, Sango, Miroku and others pass. She did not call out to them, and she did not follow them, no… The fact that their castle was probably taken made her only stronger in her belief that she, and ONLY she, should be the one to risk her life and get the Jewel. After all, it was she who had lost it in the first place.

She had always been quite the person to sacrifice herself.

Not long after that, she reached the end of the tunnel, and quietly, she opened the entrance, slipping into the study and closing the door behind her. Immediately, she sensed a lot of youkai around, and panicked that they would discover her, she erected a barrier around the entrance, so that their scents and other things were covered. It was the least she could do.

After that, everything seemed pretty much vague to her, like a long forgotten childhood memory, where a lot of details had disappeared.

Closing her eyes for a moment and letting her senses spread to feel the Jewel's presence, she began running through the castle, and up the stairs. She didn't see a single person. She entered her room, and there, on the ground was the Shikon no Tama. The chain was broken. Picking up the Jewel, taking a look around, and grabbing her bow and arrows, she turned and began and running down the stairs again.

Running all the way back, still seeing no one. Entering the study again… and then…stop running, jaw dropping, heartbeat quickening, starting to panic…

… there was a youkai in the room. A youkai… blocking the only way out of this castle.

Somehow, sound, smell, everything seemed to return again. The youkai appeared to be just as surprised. Wide, cerulean eyes stared back at her. And then… then it started to grin and it moved.

As if this was a sign, her mind began to scream at her 'RUN!' and run she did. Out of the room, through the corridor, into another one, only to face …

… even more youkai. All with murderous looks, evil grins, just plain … scary. With a scream, she threw her hands out in front of her and sent a huge wave of her purification power at them. She clasped a hand over her mouth as she heard them scream. Did she just…did she just… kill someone?

There was no time to think about it as others came after her, and she turned and ran the other way. It went on like this, until, finally, she came to a set of huge doors. She was surrounded by youkai, and the only way out now was…

…the courtyard… which was probably full of even more youkai anyway…

Clenching her jaw, she just threw the doors open and ran outside. The sight that met her was enough to make her faint, but she just closed her eyes for a moment and decided to be strong. Her hands had a death grip on both the Jewel and her bow. Slowly, her eyes travelled over the rows and rows of youkai, now gathered in the courtyard or still entering it through the gates that were wide open, as if the elves had invited them in there. Sounds of others going through the castle, windows breaking, orders flying around, small fires starting bombarded her ears. It was all just as she saw it. Only this, she standing here, all on her own, with the Jewel, that had not been a part of it.

Growling reverberated around her, and she spun on her feet, just to discover that she really, like in her worst nightmare, was surrounded by youkai, and youkai only. Dangerous, very dangerous youkai who wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

"S-Stay away!" It was like she was listening to a stranger; her voice sounded so incredibly weak. Her whole body began to glow blue, and at least that seemed to scare the youkai a bit off.

But that didn't meant that she would get out of there.

"Well, well, it seems as if finally, there is at least someone here to welcome us…" She stiffened as she heard a cold and evil voice. Slowly, she turned to her left, where she now felt a powerful, but extremely evil and malicious aura.

Rows upon rows of soldiers parted to reveal a rather tall and handsome youkai coming her way. Waves of pitch black hair cascaded down his back, reaching at least to his knees. A few stray bangs framed a pale, handsome face, with regal features and crimson eyes. A smug grin was on his face, and he walked with the confidence and arrogance of a leader.

He stopped just a few feet away from her and took a moment to look her all over. And somehow, she felt as if she would rather put up with thousands of youkai just to get rid of this one. No matter how beautiful he was, everything about him looked dark and sinister.

"You must be the mysterious second daughter, the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. The similarities with your sister are remarkable, I must admit." His low voice held something malicious, and she could not help but shiver. "Allow me to introduce myself. You have probably heard of me; Naraku, the Northern Lord." He gave a small bow with his head, and only one word came to her mind; 'bastard'.

Another movement caught her eyes, and as she felt a powerful aura she witnessed as another, maybe even more beautiful youkai approached. Silver hair, golden eyes, markings which always intrigued her…

Sesshoumaru.

Her throat went dry and she quickly averted her eyes. The knowledge that he was HERE, that he had ATTACKED them made her become angry again. Add the fact that your father's murderer is standing before you and you have enough reasons to freak out.

She averted her gaze and directed her attention solely towards the other dark haired youkai. It was too painful to look him in the eyes. How different the circumstances were when she last saw him…

Shaking her head, she tried to calm her raging heart and the slight shaking of her hands. Throwing her head back, she boldly glared at Naraku. There was no way she would survive this, so why not use the time to give him a piece of her mind! Where she found the courage, she didn't know, but people do strange things when facing death.

"Oh, I have heard of you…" she gritted her teeth, her body beginning to glow with a blue light again. "… you were the one that killed my father, the one who hurt so many of my friends. And I assure you, one day you will pay for that!"

He chuckled lowly, as if he were having the time of his life. "Feisty one, aren't we? Yes, the death of your father… I assure you, I regret that it had to be that way, but… that is what happens in a war…"

"Nonsense! You killed him deliberately and you even took pleasure in it!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "See it the way you want to. But on to a more important manner. You couldn't, by any chance explain to me why this castle is empty? Where did everyone go so suddenly? And I was so eager to meet them…"

Laughter was heard, but she looked arrogantly at him, very similar to the way a certain silver haired youkai would look. "You think I would tell you? You think I'm that stupid?"

"No, no, I have no doubt that you are fairly intelligent. The sudden disappearance of so many people quite proves it. However, everyone has his faults, and I believe you and your sister just showed yours today. And look at what I got." He made a wide gesture with his arms and pointed all around him. "… an entire castle! There's only one thing missing here… Am I right to guess that this will be given to me by the second daughter?"

"I don't know what you are speaking of."

"Now, why is it that I don't believe you? For decades I have been after this, and now you don't know what I mean? Now girl, I would hate to take something from such a beautiful creature like you. Delicate flowers are so easy to bend. So why don't you just give it to me? I know you have it, I can sense it, and so there is no need to lie. I promise you I will do nothing to you. Who would want to harm an unarmed and innocent girl like you?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. So she was weak, huh? Her aura flared; blue flames now literally slashing out of her. "I am not unarmed," she whispered. "I could purify you all… starting with YOU."

She heard gasps around her and saw a few youkai close to her take a step back, sensing her purification powers. To her frustration however, Naraku's expression didn't waver at all. He still looked rather confident of himself.

"Yes, you are quite powerful, I have to admit. But tell me, after you blasted half of this army away, what are you going to do with the remaining half? I can sense that you are tired…" he chuckled again at her furious expression. "…yes, my miasma and all that running around has quite drained you, hasn't it? Face it, you are outnumbered, and there's no one to save you… All you need to do to guarantee your safety is to hand over a small object which I have laid my eyes on. Why do you even want to keep it? Haven't there been enough fights over it? Isn't it a heavy burden? You can end all this. We could live in peace, together…"

His voice almost sounded friendly, offering her something that she had wanted for so long now… peace… it was the only thing she had ever wished for.

She held her hand in front of her and looked at the small pink Jewel, lying ever so innocently in the palm of her hand. But the Shikon no Tama was anything but innocent. It brought death, betrayal and misery to all who came across it.

A low and soft voice reached her ears. "That's it… just hand it over, and everything that happened will be nothing but a memory. No fights, no wars… only peace… no suffering anymore…"

Unconsciously, her hand slowly began to go forward. But suddenly, she stopped, her hand still in midair. Her eyes glazed over as a memory hit her.

Golden eyes, staring into her dark ones, boring into her very soul. A hand with dangerous talons resting gently just below her collarbone, touching a certain Jewel. A low and soft whisper, carried to her ears like a soft breeze of the wind…

"_Whatever you do, don't ever let him get it…"_

Focusing once more, she abruptly closed her fist and retreated her hand. She ignored the now dangerous expression on Naraku's face, instead only concentrating on the problem at hand. How could she prevent him from getting the Jewel?

She could not escape, she could not hide it with the thousands and thousands of eyes watching her….and then it hit her. She didn't know it if would work, but if it did, it would solve so many things… To her, it seemed the only solution.

She looked Naraku straight in the eyes. "Stop nagging me. I would NEVER give you the Jewel! There would be even more suffering if you got it!"

The sound of his voice had changed drastically; it was now low and deadly. "Fine with me, girl. Then I'll just have to kill you…"

A small smile appeared on her face. "Do that, if you want to. But first, I'm going to make sure that you will NEVER get the Shikon no Tama."

She stared a second longer into his eyes, pouring all her anger into that look, before she gripped the Jewel firmly and then, with all her might and a bit of help from her powers, threw the Jewel high into the air. With movements almost too quick for the eye, at least that of a human, she notched an arrow on her bow and released it. The arrow flew through the air, glowing a bright blue, before it hit the Jewel, right above their heads.

For a moment, nothing happened… then a loud cracking sound was heard and a huge amount of purple light burst forward, lighting the sky, blinding them, as a huge wave of power was felt throughout the lands.

Kagome dropped her bow and turned, a single tear leaving a shining trail down her cheek. A shiver ran through her, and the last thing she saw before everything turned black, was a set of intent golden eyes, staring at her.

It had worked.

The Shikon no Tama had been… destroyed…

* * *

And finally, after a lot of reviews and emails, I updated! Believe me, I was not lazy, in fact I was just too busy! I am so frustrated about it, I know exactly what I want to write but I just have no time to put it on paper! But, after a busy time and a lot of bad luck (see my profile), the new chapter is finally here. It is very long, but I guess that is alright after the long wait.

Also, in case you haven't notice yet, this story has been nominated on A Single Spark for

Best Alternate Universe Fanfic  
Best Romance/Fluff/WAFF fanfic  
Best Action/Adventure Fanfic  
Best Kagome Portrayal  
Best Overall Fanfic

If you want to know more about it, check my profile!

It is very late and I'm tired, so I'll just make this short. I already responded to most reviews, but I still have a feeling like I forgot the answer a few emails, so, if you didn't have any answer from me, I am very sorry! I want to thank everyone for their support, reviews and emails! You are the best!

Row: yes… homework… I hate it…

AnimeAngelz: I'm afraid I would a very lousy servant…hehe… but I did notice the 'please'!

ElvenYoukai: Well there's always a first, isn't it? Yes, about my friends dad. We are alright, but she still has a difficult time. She is very good at dealing with it, but it happens that she breaks down and cries. It's very sad, but I really hope she will be alright in the end.

Robin's Hope: Wow… that was a long review! But…big surprise… I really love long reviews:P Yes, Rin is cute isn't it? Yes she could kick his ass… and she's going to do it. Only, as you noticed, not yet in this chapter… hehehe… I needed her to be captured. Mmm… you as a reader, knowing the whole manga/anime could know it, yes, but the characters in this story can't. Well, you'll understand later…

DemonWicca: mmm… What would you say: are there just as many events in this chapter as in the last:P

Lady Lydia: Sorry but a battle usually means that at least someone is going to die… unfortunately….

White Plum: hehe… pretty good guess... hint hint… and… Miroku is a real pervert in here!

Llamachick: slow and painful death… suits him I think… yes, I agree…

Duzzie: Kagome did fight a bit in this one… only I couldn't let her win… she had to be captured… sorry…

Tsuki Yume: hehe… the story's going to be longer… as you probably guessed after reading this chapter… the Jewel is broken again… so… hehe…

Rosie: Yes, Rin and Shippou are so kawaii… I like them!

Avan: I'm glad it's not getting boring… but warn me if it happens in the future! Yes, the chapters are long… as I already predicted in the first chapter… I know myself…hehehe…this chapter is by far the worst…

Foxdemon113: Huge spoiler… (just joking)… yes, Naraku is going to die… And you are good at guessing… hint hint… and I'm really touched by all your pleas… maybe that's why this chapter is so incredibly long…

Okibi Usagi: Mmm… maybe by now you discovered I hardly ever listen to anyone… but no, I'm sorry you had to whine for so long… and thank you for the compliment!

Elle: Yes, why is it blue? Someone asked it before… and I know it should be pink, but somehow I made it blue… I'm weird… but well, I don't know yet if it has a purpose or if I was just bored with all the pink (it's not exactly my favourite colour)… sometimes I just make up something for my own…

Loki: Yes, Sess/Kag stories can be fun… if they are written correctly. I just can't stand these stories where they meet the first chapter, have sex in the second and that all in the span of one day or something grumble grumble not to offend anyone, but it is not logical… even I have the constant feeling that I'm making Sesshoumaru too soft… he is an interesting character, you have to give him that…

Fay-sheik-kikyou-chan: If that is the case, than I'm honoured that you reviewed my story…

Assassin loki: Wow… walking on hot coal? Please don't torture yourself… What else you could do to make me update… well… do all my homework? Hehe… just joking… if anything is torture, it's that… you'd be sitting there for hours…

NekoNoodles: About Kagome, I agree… Yes Sesshoumaru is interesting, isn't he?

Kagomie-san: Mmm yes I can get pretty detailed… sometimes even too much… thanks for the compliment!

Ringo: Yes I am going to finish this… and I know I'm terribly slow right now, but I warned everyone beforehand that this year I would have a hell of a lot to do for school… and there's no way I can change that, so… I'm afraid you'll have to bear with me… believe me I'm just as frustrated about it…

Devlzcut: Thanks! And I believe you will particularly like this chapter… it is incredibly long…

Jean jelly bean: Hehehe… am I scared… but here's your update!

Electricdragon: Yes, Sess/Kag can be rather fun you know… there are others out there who have even better stories than I have! For instance, Nostawen Allesiel or Chrystal Echoes… just to name a few… But I have to admit, if they meet in one chapter, fall in love in the next and Inuyasha is completely forgotten I disagree with it too… that's just not realistic… but anyway, this update came probably sooner than you expected. Mmm yes, there's going to be an Inuyasha/Kikyou pairing… I dropped a few hints already, and later on in the story I'll write more about it…

ChibiSango: Now I can tell you like it!

Kagome21: About Naraku, yes, you're right. And soon, they will discover it too. Personally, I'm not really a Kikyou-hater, but I don't really like her either…

Psycobookcollector: Thanks for the compliments!

Heiri: mmm yes I agree, I can't see Sesshoumaru as a family man either… how I can write so much? Honestly, I have no idea myself. A lot of imagination I guess… who knows. But I'm glad you like it!

Sesshoumaru 4 EVER: Yes, I know, it's a bit weird for him to be too weak…but I wanted them to capture him for once, and not Kagome or something… that is getting a bit boring, don't you think?

Cherry: I know, I know, I did hurry up! Here is the new chapter!


	17. Chapter Seventeen: No way back

_**Chapter Seventeen: No way back**_

_Immer vorwärts, Schritt um Schritt,  
es gibt kein Weg zurück  
und was jetzt ist wird nie mehr ungeschehen.  
Die Zeit läuft uns davon,  
was getan ist, ist getan  
und was jetzt ist wird nie mehr so geschehen._

_Wolfsheim – Kein zurück_

* * *

Sesshoumaru's Castle, Western lands 

The relationship between Myouga and his master was odd to say the least. His master was foulmouthed, had a horrible temper and always refused to listen to him. Needless to say, it made him angry quite frequently, but he knew it to be the same the other way round. Still, he dutifully served his master as he had done for many years.

But it was at times like these when he found himself almost worshipping that same master.

The tiny flea sat on a windowsill, looking out into the distance towards the south. Had Sesshoumaru been his master, he would've been in Jaken's position now… most likely right in the middle of the battle.

With Inuyasha being his master, however, it meant he sat in his beloved castle, _safe_.

He had no idea how long he had been sitting there until a rather unusual and shocking sight made him jump to his feet, his heart racing and his mind quickly sorting trough all kinds of memories before he came to a conclusion.

A bright purple light erupted seemingly from nowhere and began to expand steadily in all directions. He felt enormous power, and it was all familiar.

In but a few seconds he was on his way to the library. All the way there, he could be heard muttering the same mantra to himself.

"I have heard of this before…"

* * *

Somewhere in the mountains, Southern Lands 

Kikyou let out a sigh as she could see the sunlight shining some distance away from her. It meant they had finally reached the end of this tunnel and would soon be standing somewhere in the middle of the mountains, where they had to travel a bit further to reach a human village where they could shelter.

If everything was alright, her mother and sister would be waiting for her there, along with their people. Although the elves would do everything to keep their castle away from Naraku, if it was lost, it was lost and they wouldn't stay and let themselves be slaughtered.

Kikyou felt an enormous anger deep within her, one that she didn't show on the outside but was still there. She had sworn she would protect their castle and their people just like her father and those before him had done. She would show them that even she, a woman, could do it. She knew their enemies and even some of their people had been sceptical about her leading their army, but eventually, she had proven to be quite good on her job.

But now she had failed everyone. Although everyone during their flight from the castle kept reminding her that no one saw this coming, she still blamed herself. Wasn't she brilliant in battle? In tactic? In her anger, she began to blame the Western Lord for everything. Surely he had told the others some interesting facts about their castle and his stay there. Maybe now her mother would agree with her about locking him up in the first place, even if it was too late.

The one thing she comforted herself with was that at least their people and the Shikon no Tama were safe. She hadn't failed entirely. Castles could be taken again, but if the Shikon no Tama were to be lost, everything would be over.

She hurried on. It was nearly impossible to discover the hidden entrance to this tunnel, but she wouldn't take any risks. They had to get away from this place as soon as possible. As they reached the end of the tunnel, torches were thrown away as even the humans could see clearly again.

But as Kikyou stepped out of the tunnel, she and the others at the front stopped walking. They all blanched when they realized the mountainside wasn't as empty as they had expected it to be. Those at the back of their group began muttering some curses, urging the others to walk on since they couldn't see what was happening at the front.

As Kikyou saw her mother standing there, surrounded by a few guards and a frightened kitsune clutching her leg, she knew something was wrong. They were supposed to be ahead of them, or already at the village.

"Mother, what are you still doing here?" she asked worriedly. "You should move on, it is not safe here. Did you send Kagome ahead with the others?" As the kitsune whimpered in fear and looked at her with teary eyes, it suddenly hit her. Why else would her mother still be here? Why else would the kitsune be so panicked? But before she could voice her suspicions, a certain taiji beat her to it.

"Where is Kagome?"

* * *

Elven castle, Southern lands 

It was too light. Too cosy. Too… happy and joyful. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and turned away from the painting he had been busy admiring for the past ten minutes or so. However, as he looked around the room, he had to state the same: it was all far too happy. Paintings of animals, landscapes, some portraits of former kings and their families. All just happy faces. Gods, these elves were just too cheerful if you asked him.

He just ignored that sudden pang of jealousy and the simple thought: what wouldn't I give if our castle would look somewhat like this?

He left the room and proceeded on his inspection of the castle. Climbing yet another pair of stairs, he altered in his steps as soon as the paintings that graced the walls came into view. There were four of them, but his eyes, at least for the moment, kept lingering on only one of them.

He climbed the stairs further until he was at the top, positioning himself in front of the painting and narrowed his eyes, bestowing the woman that held such a calm and serene expression with a nasty glare. "A puppy huh," he growled, grinding his teeth. "Well you bitch, you can kiss my ass."

He almost expected his brother to be standing behind him, giving him a bored look as he would utter that one stupid sentence he had come to hate: "Language little brother". But, even though it was a rather childish act, talking to a painting, it was quit satisfying to him right now. To him, it was as if she could hear it. Or was it just that he wished her to?

Shaking his head, he walked on, every now and then flinching at the sound of windows breaking, shouts and other ruckus. Surprisingly, they still hadn't been on this floor, so he took the opportunity to look at everything, as it was still whole. He almost regretted the castle being ransacked, but hey, what could he do against it? Nobody listened to him anyway.

He passed numerous doors, but opened none, until he sighed and berated himself. "What is the use of walking along this corridor and looking at those blasted doors, but not open them?" His mind set, he opened the first door he came across.

A bedroom.

'_Figures'_ he thought distractedly as he eyed the room. To his surprise, it was not as happy as he was used to seeing so far. It had a colder and distant tone to it, but despite that, it was still a lighter room than he was used to. As he moved further, he caught an old scent lingering. Someone had been here this morning. Someone familiar. He had the feeling he recognised this scent.

He sniffed a bit more. It appeared this person had been crying this morning. As he walked around the room, he noticed that it may look cosy, but if you were here a bit longer; there was also a feeling of sadness here. Or was he just being paranoid? Damn, whose bedroom was this?

In an attempt to get the matching face with this scent, he just took one of the pillows and held it to his nose. As he sniffed lightly, it suddenly clicked in his head. He dropped the pillow and looked at the bed as if someone was sitting there.

"Not you again…" he muttered with a frown.

He narrowed his eyes as he saw something black sticking out under one of the other pillows. Bending down he snatched the next pillow away before picking up a small, black book. It looked rather old, and curious, he threw the pillow back and opened the book.

A small gasp left his throat. "Shit," he cursed, but still clutching the book in his hands. Eyes wide, he sat down on the bed as his eyes scanned the page. As the impatient and curious person he was, he turned the entire book and looked at the last page.

A sudden sadness fell over him as he read the words. The scent of salt still lingered on the pages, and he could not help but wonder why he found this, of all people. But if the rest was anything like this, it would certainly change his opinion on at least one person. A drastic change indeed, because it was not just a book he was holding here.

He was holding the diary of a certain elven princess named Kikyou.

* * *

_It was dark. There was only a little moonlight illuminating the room in which she stood. She backed away into the corner as soon as her eyes fell on the bed with the silver haired person in it. A wave of nausea washed over her as she realized who this was; what she was about to see again. She raised her hand and looked at it. It was shaking._

_She let her hand fall to her side and looked around the room. Something was different. There seemed to be just a little more moonlight, the furniture, the person, everything seemed to be a bit clearer. She could see everything better._

_She jumped suddenly when she heard rustling and she realized she wasn't alone anymore. There was a third person in this room. Someone she'd rather not meet in real life. _

_She gasped as this person too seemed to be a bit clearer. She could at least make out his form. She almost made a disappointed noise as she noticed, the person wore a cloak, and she couldn't see its face. But it was a man, she was sure of it. _

_She knew this wasn't real, she knew they couldn't see her, but still she began to panic as she saw how the man raised his arm. She knew what he would do, and she was NOT going to stick around and see this again. _

_She tried to turn around, just like last time, and run out of the door, but she found that she couldn't move. She struggled to move her legs just a tiny bit, but it was all in vain._

"_And so it ends here…"_

_Large brown eyes widened and she screamed as she was forced to see it all… again. _

With a loud scream, Kagome suddenly sat upright, wide awake. Breathing hard and with her heart thumping like mad, she pulled her hands trough her hair and groaned. Why did she always have to dream like that? But she still hadn't recognized the murderer. She didn't see his face, but there was something about his voice… it seemed familiar. Had she heard it before?

After awhile she stopped shaking, and with a sigh she finally looked up to see her surroundings. She frowned when she didn't see her own room, as she expected. Instead, she saw a small room, with more sober walls, not as much decorated as hers. Simple furniture, nothing overly expensive.

A servant's room?

She sat up a bit further as she tried to remember, how she got here, why she would wake up in a servant's room, and not her own. Had she been sleep walking again? She had done it before. In that case, she'd better get back to her own room. Oh this was so embarrassing.

She removed the blankets and moved to stand up. That's when she noticed she was still in her normal clothing, but they were dirty and torn somewhat. She clasped her hand for her mouth as she suddenly remembered everything. She began to shake again, and all sorts of questions rang trough her head. Instead of answering them, she focused on the fact that she was still in her castle. Maybe she could escape?

Her feet barely touched the ground as she suddenly tensed. Now that she remembered what happened, she had become extremely alert. She gulped as she sensed two youkai right outside the door and… the fact that she wasn't alone in the room. She stayed put, not daring to move or even breathe. There was a heavy silence and tension in the air.

"So, you're finally awake…"

She had started to shake again, but she closed her eyes briefly before holding her head high and looking the youkai straight in the eye. Bright blue eyes looked back at her, and her breath left her in a whoosh.

"I have seen you before…" she stated, almost forgetting this was an enemy.

The youkai chuckled. He straightened himself and leaned away from the doorpost which had been supporting his weight up till now. "Yes, I dare say you startled me somewhat earlier on… you are quite a sight to behold."

She blushed at his obviously flirtatious behaviour and charming smile. Although an enemy, she had to admit he didn't look bad either. He was tall, not as tall as the other youkai she had met so far, but still taller than her. He had shockingly blue eyes, and black hair, which was pulled up in a ponytail. His skin was darker, as if he had been out in the sun a lot. He kept on smiling, showing of his fangs, and as he moved further into the room, she almost shrieked as she saw… a tail?

He laughed out loud at her expression, but didn't stop moving. The further he came, the more she crawled back on the bed until her back met the wall. Despite his behaviour which, at least at this moment didn't seem to be very hostile. She didn't trust him one bit. Her body began to glow blue again, and she saw with satisfaction how he finally stopped advancing on her, opting instead to keep at least some distance between them. It appeared he had learned his lesson about elves and their magic.

In the mean time, she tried very hard to remember where she had seen this youkai before. Had he been outside, on the courtyard? She didn't know, as she hadn't paid attention to all the youkai surrounding her. She was too panicked at the time.

"Well," the youkai before her sighed. "I must compliment you. It does not happen so often somebody manages to scare me." He ignored her snort. "I have to ask, was there some special reason you didn't purify me? You surely didn't go easy on the others in the halls."

Suddenly it hit her where she had seen this youkai. "You!" she hissed. "It was you in that room, wasn't it?"

Another charming smile. "Yes, it was me in the study. It pleases me to know that you remember my face. It must mean you don't think of me that badly."

She raised a single brow at him. "You sure have some self confidence," she muttered softly, before remembering he was a youkai and so he probably heard her. So this was the damn youkai who prevented her from escaping. She felt angry, but not as angry as she had expected herself to be. It had happened, and she felt like she should concentrate on the situation at hand.

"So…" she coughed and tried again. "So, who are you exactly?"

"Ah," the youkai winked at her. "See, you are interested!"

She suddenly had the strong urge to growl, but she silently counted to ten. She had to keep her temper in check, this was not the time to get angry. "No," she finally sighed. "I just wish to know to what idiot I'm speaking too."

She didn't know where the courage came from to insult the youkai, but before she could panic, he just started to grin all over again. "I understand if you are too embarrassed," he declared. "so I will just tell you who I am. My name is Kouga, and I'm Lord of the Eastern Lands."

She gasped at this bit of information. He sure was a lot different from the other Lords. One was so damn arrogant and proud, and the other was just plain evil. This one didn't seem to be very bad. Well, he was a bit slimy and rather self-confident… but at least he wasn't trying to kill her yet. (something the other two Lords had already tried before.)

Unfortunately, she saw no way to escape right now, which annoyed her a lot. The Eastern Lord kept blocking the way towards the door, and she knew that just outside that door were two guards. Plus their castle was probably crowded with youkai.

She held her head to the side when she found she could make out a lot of noise, somewhere in the distance. The youkai noticed her frown and he sighed, looking at his claws as if they were the most interesting things in the world. "I am afraid that in war, a lot of things are destroyed, whether we like it or not," he stated.

She took a moment to process his words and then she had to swallow hard. They were destroying their castle. All their personal belongings, all the paintings, the library, centuries of fine artwork were going to be lost if they kept this up. With her strong emotions, the blue flames surrounding her body intensified somewhat, and the youkai took a step back, holding his hands up in front of him in an almost friendly gesture.

"Now, now, don't get all angry at me." He snorted. "This is just how it goes, you know? It isn't anything personal, at least from my side." He gave her a blinding smile. "It's a pity you are an elf, but I have to admit, I think you're rather interesting."

"I don't care," she said, sending him a look she hoped would make him pity her. "Please, can't you let me go? All you want is the Jewel, isn't it? So what use do you have to keep me here?"

He scratched his head somewhat uncomfortably. "Eh… well… I hate to admit it, but you're not my prisoner, and I doubt they would let you go. You see, Naraku… he kinda lost it somewhat when you pulled of that little stunt – amazing I might add – and so I think he is not quite done with you." He gave her an apologetic stare. "Let's just say, I'm glad I'm not you. I've never seen him that pissed and out of control. Although… it is kinda understandable… he was so close to getting the Shikon no Tama… Tell me, what did you do with it? What kind of trick was it?"

He seemed rather curious, but she didn't know herself what happened there. She tried to destroy the Jewel, and it seemed as if she succeeded, but she wasn't sure. There was just this… feeling… like something had gone wrong. After all, years ago the elves had tried to destroy it, but they had failed and stopped trying. She forced herself not to think about an angry Naraku, and coughed somewhat. "I… I think I destroyed it," she whispered.

Kouga let out a whistle. "Wow… now I definitely don't want to be in your place."

She started to shake again, and tears came in her eyes. She didn't even want to know how she got here, and why she wasn't dead yet. As far as she knew, she was not injured in any way. But just the thought of Naraku made her panic. Add Kouga's not so tactful comments, and she had some pretty good reasons to be scared.

The youkai's blue eyes softened somewhat. "I'm sorry," he offered, coming closer to her. "I'm sure it is not all that bad." He looked a bit more panicked as she let out a sob. "Oh no, don't cry!" he muttered. "I don't know what to do with crying people."

She tried to glare at him. "Tell me what you really want!" she pleaded. "If you want to kill me, just do it!"

The other snorted. "I already told you, you're not my prisoner. A pity really," he shrugged nonchalantly. "since that means it is up to Naraku whether you'll be killed or not. But don't worry," he flashed her an arrogant grin. "I'll talk to him."

Despite her tears she still managed to look somewhat sceptical at him. "And Naraku would actually listen to you?"

"Of course," He looked rather confident. "so, do you want to tell me a bit more about yourself?"

Her jaw dropped as she looked at the arrogant youkai. "Excuse me? Tell you about myself? Are you crazy! I'm a prisoner, they are destroying my castle. This is _war_, and YOU want ME to tell you about myself? Well let me tell you something, I am a very quiet person, but right now, I am sooo angry! What do you want anyway!"

Her little outburst didn't seem to faze him the slightest bit. Instead, she could only blink as suddenly, he was right in front of her and his hands were clasped around hers, his face with those blue eyes very close to hers. Suddenly nervous, she tried to back away, get her hands back, anything, but he had a very firm grip on her.

She cracked a nervous smile and tried another tactic. "K-Kouga?" hearing his name spoken by her seemed to startle him somewhat, but as the charming smile returned tenfold, she realized this might not have been such a good idea.

"Yes, my dear Kagome?"

Her eyes widened and she felt herself get angry again. "Did you even listen to what I told you just now?" She sighed at his frown. "Probably not… I want an answer; what are you, or Naraku, or… arggg, what are you going to do with me?"

He chuckled. "I can't tell you what Naraku is going to do, but I'm going to talk with him and I'm sure I'll eventually convince him to let you go. And as for what I am going to do… well, I already heard how powerful you are, and I've seen it now… plus you are quite a beauty… I like strong women, and I realized almost immediately that you should be the one."

Kagome swallowed hard. "The…the one?"

"Yes," looking deep into her eyes he boldly asked; "Kagome, will you become my mate?"

A strange noise left her throat, right before she really lost it. She really was a quiet and kind person, but this… this was too much, even for her. Her eyes narrowed, she lifted her hand to give him one hell of a slap which he wouldn't forget that easy.

He must have seen it coming, as he already began to duck, but suddenly, he froze, and so did she. Her hand still in mid air, a shiver ran trough her at the low and feral growl that clang trough the room. It sounded familiar, and she felt her knees go weak.

Very, very slowly she turned her head to look at the youkai who stood in the doorway. All sorts of thoughts went through her head, but only one word made it past her lips.

"Se…Sesshoumaru…?"

* * *

Somewhere in the mountains, Southern Lands 

"Hiraikotsu!"

Almost no sound clang, no warning, and the huge crowd around Sango backed away with a gasp as the first tree fell under her boomerang. They backed even farther away as the boomerang came back, was caught by the enraged girl and flung away again.

Some distance away, a young monk was sitting under a large three in the middle of the human village. Next to him sat a young kitsune, obviously very distressed, but trying to imitate his calm behaviour.

But Miroku was anything but calm. He needed something to let his frustration out, but instead he decided to be the calm one for once. Or rather, try to _act_ like it. Even Kikyou had lost it somewhat after she heard what happened. After seeing her face, everyone scurried out of her way. She had locked herself into one of the huts and was now probably thinking of a way to get Kagome back.

Miroku let out a sigh as the sound of another tree falling reached his ear. "Oh Sango, Sango," he muttered. He turned towards Shippou with a false smile. "Let me tell you something, and remember this well. You will need it for the rest of your life."

The child's innocent green eyes blinked up at him. "What?"

"Never make a woman mad. You don't want to do that, trust me…" Miroku flinched at another loud bang. "… and definitely not a woman like that," he whispered, indicating the boomerang-throwing taiji.

Shippou frowned. "But… you make Sango mad all the time. She always hits you… if you shouldn't make a woman mad… then… why do YOU do it…?"

"Eh…eh…" Miroku fidgeted somewhat. "I'll tell you that when you're somewhat _older_."

They both jumped at another loud bang. "Is it just me or do they seem to get louder every time?" Miroku muttered.

BANG!

"Ah!" Shippou screamed and ran to hide behind Miroku's back. "Is she coming for us too?"

"Nah… if we were a youkai, then she would come after us. After all, they have Kagome now…"

Miroku looked over his shoulder as it suddenly became very quiet. Shippou seemed to have shrunk somewhat in size and he looked timidly up at him. "What?" Miroku raised an eye brow.

"I am a youkai," the child pointed out in a grave voice.

"Ah… true," Miroku shook his head. "I forgot that." He stared ahead and flinched as another tree fell. "You know what?" Shippou looked curiously at him. "I think you don't have to worry about being chopped up, skinned alive and all that sort of things." Miroku eyed the now green looking child and gave him a cheery smile. "I think you should be worried if we still have a forest by tonight. And…" he slowly stood and dusted himself off. "…if I am still alive, because I am going to stop her."

It was a very heroic moment, and he looked rather confident. As there was no response, he turned and looked at the kitsune. "Well? Don't you want to wish me farewell?" he grinned.

Shippou eyed the way that lead outside the village, where Sango was currently letting her temper get the best of her. Then he looked at the monk again and felt himself getting sick again.

"You're dead," he squealed before he ran to take cover as another loud bang clang.

Miroku coughed, then straightened himself and began walking. "Right," he sighed. "Talk about encouraging people. 'You're dead…' As if I didn't know that…"

He walked away from the tree where he had been sitting for some hours now, following the road outside the village. It was nothing impressive, a few dozen huts surrounded by a huge wooden wall with gates completing it. Even though it was located high up in the mountains, the humans still built the gates in case the elves ever had to flee their castle, they would hide here.

Currently, the walls were guarded by their army should some youkai manage to discover the secret way out of the castle. There was no doubt, however, that if the youkai did, they would have a huge problem. Compared to the Elvin castle with its huge stone walls, this village seemed rather poor in its defences.

Miroku couldn't help but eye the wall critically as he passed it. Somehow, it didn't comfort him as much as those good old stone walls back home did. With everything that happened in the past few hours, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that one need only tap these walls once and the whole structure would come crashing down, leaving them absolutely defenceless.

Once he was outside the village, he looked at the crowd with a sigh. They blocked his sight so he couldn't see the enraged girl, but he certainly saw her boomerang as she released it, and he saw those poor, poor trees coming down. He inhaled deeply before plastering a cheerful smile on his face and approached the humans gathered to see this spectacle.

"Now now people, the show is over. Why don't you all go home? I'm sure you all have more _important_ matters to deal with," he said in a happy tone, trying very hard to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

They all stared at him for a minute, and when his cheerful behaviour didn't seem to work, he glared at them. They finally they backed away, but still wouldn't leave. There was a tense silence, until he raised his brow and they finally seemed to get the message and began to walk away.

Relieved that he didn't have to deal with a whole crowd of onlookers, he turned to discover that Sango hadn't noticed their departure at all. She still threw her boomerang away with as much force as she could handle. The look on her face was so murderous that he involuntarily began to think about a young kitsune's previous words. It was looking more and more possible. By the looks of it, she would kill anyone who would interrupt her.

He coughed once. "Eh… Sango?"

No reaction.

Swallowing once, he began to approach her. She just threw her boomerang again, and he brought up his arms to tap her on the shoulder. Just then, the boomerang came back and Sango caught it, taking a step back from the force of which the boomerang came back. Unfortunately, it was at that exact moment that he was directly behind her.

He could only utter a strange sound as Hiraikotsu collided with his upper body and knocked him over.

There was a silence, before he noticed someone kneeling beside him and felt hands on his shoulder. "Oh my god, Miroku, are you okay?" Sango voice sounded slightly panicked. "Oh god, what did I do! I only made things worse, I'm such an idiot! Please Miroku, just say something." His mind was still too shocked to say anything that would be more than just one word, and he heard a sharp intake of breath as he remained silent. "Are you dead?" he heard her whisper.

But Miroku's mind was only shocked for a short amount of time, and he felt her stiffen next to him, seconds before a fist collided painfully with his cheek. "You bastard! It is all just some stupid act, isn't it? Making me believe you were hurt! Hentai!"

He opened his eyes slowly, sitting upright while clutching his cheek. "Actually, my dear Sango," he noticed with satisfaction how she glared at him as soon as she heard the word 'dear'. "It did hurt. A lot actually."

Instead of her fighting back as usual, pointing out he was a pervert none the less, all the adrenaline seemed to have left her as she just fell flat on her rear and stared ahead of her with the most broken look he had ever seen on someone's face.

He let his hand fall to his side and looked at her with concern in his eyes. He hesitated only slightly before he let his hand rest on her shoulder. She tensed somewhat, before she relaxed again. That showed him something was definitely wrong. Normally she would have removed his hand already, if not cut it off in her anger at him for groping her.

"Sango, what is wrong?" he asked her calmly.

That question seemed to bring the fire in her spirit somewhat back. "What is wrong? Our castle has been taken, the Shikon no Tama is lost, even worse, Kagome is out there all on her own and you ask me what is wrong? I failed her Miroku! She…she…" he listened hard, and he could swear she was crying, something that shocked him. He had never seen this woman cry before. "She is like my sister, Miroku! She was there for me when I had nothing left but the clothes I wore, my village, my whole family, everything I owned, gone! If it weren't for her, I would still be depressed and lonely. She is such a kind person, and she is all alone right now. I don't even want to think about what they will do to her… and it is all my fault."

Miroku frowned. "Why? You have no power over what happened. You are not Naraku, who attacked us. You can't change what happened, and you couldn't have done anything about it in the first place."

It seemed that what he said made her even angrier. "I couldn't do anything about it? Why do you think Kikyou is so pissed off? Because we could've stopped her Miroku! We were the last to leave the castle, remember? And somehow, Kagome came back, because she had left the castle, but she is not here! So, if she went back, it means she…"

"… must've passed us somewhere…" Miroku whispered, finally realising what was bugging Sango, besides the fact that her best friend probably had been captured and all.

"Exactly," said girl cried out. "Were we that blind to not see her? Damn it, we could've stopped her!"

She was trying to hold back her tears, he could tell, and he felt his heart aching as he saw her like this. After all, he liked the confidence and strength this girl always showed; he hated it seeing her like this. After awhile, the young monk did something which was extremely weird for him to do. He touched a woman somewhat intimately without groping her.

She struggled a bit at first, but a few seconds later Miroku found himself embracing the girl, telling her to just let it all out, that he too didn't notice Kagome, and neither did the others. They all were in a hurry to get away from the castle, they all thought Kagome safe with the others, how were they supposed to know she would turn and walk right into the enemies arms? But as he sat there with the sobbing girl in his arms, he could not help but share her worries. Would they ever see Kagome again?

What would happen to her, out there all alone, surrounded by enemies?

* * *

Elven castle, Southern Lands 

"Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Despite all the noise and destruction around him, Sesshoumaru still managed to walk around like his normal, stoic self with such an impassive look on his face that one would believe nothing was wrong. He also managed to refrain himself from killing the annoying toad like creature trotting after him like a dog would after his master.

"My Lord, do you not want to rest? Should this lowly servant get you some food? Should…"

He did the one thing he always did when around people who talked to much nonsense. He just tuned them out, concentrating instead on other things.

It felt so… weird… to walk around this place again, not as a prisoner, but as a free man and as a victor. But why did he feel more like a prisoner than he ever did? While the others where busy destroying everything, he went up to that one tower, somehow feeling the urge to see that place again, where he had spent so many days. He had stayed there for awhile, until he could take it no longer and finally convinced himself that this was rubbish.

Now he was walking along those familiar corridors again. Although he didn't want to admit it, he regretted the fact that all this beautiful artwork would soon be history. As he came close to the main hall, he suddenly stopped walking all together to face a pair of impressive wooden doors.

His vision began to swim as he remembered the days he had spent there, reading, by his side a quiet, dark haired woman.

Focusing once more, he didn't stop to question his actions; he just acted on instinct as he opened the doors and gave the youkai inside a cold look. One was already reaching towards the first bookshelf, intent on ripping it down, destroying everything.

"Out," he ordered in a cold voice, not trusting himself to say anything more than that.

Of course, they had to act like complete idiots and protest. "What?" A dark haired youkai looked at him in anger. "Naraku said we could destroy all we wanted."

He couldn't stop the growl from leaving his throat. "Your lord's need to let his frustrations out is no concern of mine. Leave. If I hear this library has been destroyed, I will find you."

He bared his fangs at them, and they quickly left the room. He looked around one more time, before he turned sharply and walked away with long strides, leaving his little servant, who couldn't keep up with him behind.

He had made a decision. He would have no rest until he had gone trough with this. His feet took him trough one corridor after another, his face set in a determined expression. He walked all the way until he came at a room with two youkai in front of it. They looked rather curiously at him, but one look was enough to make them snap their heads back and look in front of them once more, like they were only dolls and not living beings.

He stiffened once he smelled the occupants of the room, and this time he really had to keep himself from barging in like a little child with no manners at all. But he had more control than that, and instead he softly opened the door and slipped inside the room, none of its occupants noticing he was there.

But then again, they did seem to be rather interested in each other.

Unbeknownst to him, the dark haired woman that had been on his mind a lot lately had just intended to slap the wolf youkai, but as he entered, all he saw was said youkai, holding the girl's hand and her reaching out to touch his face.

It stirred a new feeling inside of him, one he hadn't felt before, but it was enough to make his eyes bleed red and let a low and feral growl leave his throat. And he would've attacked the youkai, there was no doubt about it, had the girl not whispered out his name in a soft voice.

He regained his control of himself in a matter of seconds, and instead of attacking, he just gave the other lord one of his famous glares. The wolf was no idiot, he recognised such a look from him, so he quickly released the girl's hand and plastered an arrogant smile on his face.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! What are you doing here?"

He still couldn't decide who was worse, his brother or this one. "Kouga," he didn't even bother to call him a lord. "I believe I could ask you the same question. I do not see a reason why you should be here."

Being the same idiot as always, the wolf didn't know when to stop. "And I don't see a reason why you should be here either. I just came to see this interesting elf, and I decided she should be my woman."

Everyone looked at him as if he had grown another head. "Your woman?"

Kouga just smiled confidently at the Western Lord. "Yes, I love Kagome, so, why not?"

* * *

'_He says he loves me…'_ For a moment, Kagome could only stare at the wolf youkai. Then, she stared at Sesshoumaru, but either he didn't notice her staring or he just refused to look at her. In fact, he hadn't looked her straight in the eyes ever since he entered the room. It frustrated her, and it made her feel nervous. What was he up to? 

Again, she turned her head to look stupidly at the wolf youkai. Then, her right eye began to twitch, a sign that finally, Kagome's patience had reached an end.

Using her now free hand to stab the youkai in the chest, he all but cowered under her angry gaze. "I have asked you before, who do you think you are! I want to know what is going on, and all you can tell me is that you love me and that you just decided I should be your mate! Well, let me tell you something, you don't just fall in love with people like that. You don't even know me! You…"

"Out."

They both started at the cold voice that interrupted them and looked hesitantly at the taiyoukai standing close to the door, afraid of what they would see. His face was still rather impassive, but for Kouga, his voice had been enough, and for Kagome, it wasn't that difficult anymore to recognize that he was irritated, probably even angry. To her annoyance, he still kept avoiding her gaze, instead glaring at Kouga.

"W-what?" Kouga not so intelligently asked.

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You, wolf, will remove your presence from this room, or else, I will be forced to take some drastic measures."

Kagome noticed how Kouga opened his mouth to protest, and knowing he was somewhat arrogant and naïve, she felt the need to do something. Sure, she barely knew him, but she had the feeling she should interrupt him before he could say anything stupid. Sesshoumaru appeared to be relaxed, his arms were crossed in front of his chest and he was leaning against the wall, but she somehow knew that he was alert and would react immediately if Kouga offended him.

Quickly and without thinking too long about her actions, she touched the wolf's arm before he could say anything. He turned to look at her, and she gave him a pleading look. "Kouga-kun, maybe it would be better if you left," she quietly suggested.

At first his mind only seemed to register the fact that she just called him 'Kouga-kun', then he finally seemed to understand her and he left. But it appeared to be impossible for him to just walk trough that door, no, first he had to grasp her hands again and place a kiss on them, promising her he would come back and that she would be safe.

She was positive her head couldn't be any redder than it was at that moment. After she realized she was yet again alone with the proud taiyoukai in one room, she became even more uncomfortable. Unsure of what to do, she just stared at her feet and fumbled somewhat with her dirty and torn dress. A silence followed, for ages it seemed, but in truth it was a few minutes before Sesshoumaru finally moved.

He leaned away from the wall and took one step towards her before he stopped. She began to stare even harder at her feet, all the while telling herself that this was just a dream. Just as she felt she couldn't take it anymore and she finally decided to look at something else but her feet, the youkai in front of her suddenly spoke.

"Guards."

She frowned somewhat, curious and also afraid of what he would do. Two guards, whom she had sensed from the moment she remembered what happened to her came into the room, completely ignoring her and instead looking at Sesshoumaru, waiting for his order.

"Bind her."

She froze, and for the first time, her gaze left her feet and instead concentrated on the silver haired youkai. All the time he had been carefully avoiding her gaze, and it was no different now. He seemed to be staring at something just past her head, and it annoyed her a lot. What did he want from her? Why was he behaving like this?_ Do not trust anyone_, he had said to her. Did this mean she could not even trust him?

One of the guards disappeared and came back again with a rope in his hands. She stared at it for a moment, but it did not disappear, instead, the youkai came closer and closer, until he finally reached her. Quickly, the other one grabbed her hands and a minute later, they were bound in front of her.

She didn't struggle, all her hopes of escaping had vanished into thin air. With free hands it was already impossible to escape, now that she was bound, her chances had lessened even more. It was hopeless.

The guards moved away from her and one look from the not so talkative taiyoukai was enough to beckon the two guards out of the room. And again, her feet seemed to be so interesting.

She stiffened as she noticed Sesshoumaru moving, but she kept her head low, not daring to look at him. She waited, but nothing happened. The silence and tension in the room were suffocating her, and as suddenly a hand touched her arm, she literally jumped at the suddenness of it.

But it was no gentle touch. Her arm was being squeezed, a rather painful grip, and she was yanked forward. She stumbled, but managed to walk on and follow the youkai who was quickly leading her out of the room. She didn't know what he was up to, she wanted to ask him, but he ignored her struggles, instead he just looked in front of him with his golden eyes.

They walked – or more like, he dragged her – down several hallways, before they left the servant's wing and entered the main castle. Her eyes widened as soon as she noticed the destruction all around her. Paintings were ripped from the walls, furniture was smashed, windows broken. A small sob left her throat, before she ducked her head again, too anxious to meet the hostile looks from the youkai present.

They neared the main entrance, and they only stopped for a few seconds before the huge doors were thrown open and they walked outside. The courtyard was filled with thousands of youkai, the sound of their voices was heard all over the place.

They walked a little further, until Sesshoumaru suddenly stopped. He didn't release her, and she began to fidget somewhat, he really hurt her the way he was holding her right now. But his whole posture was so stiff, and as she sneaked a glance at his face, she noticed his jaw was clenched very tightly, so she didn't dare to make any sound.

"Jaken."

He suddenly called out in a low but very demanding tone. Still very frightened, she kept her head low and looking trough the bangs covering her eyes, she studied the youkai surrounding them. She was still looking out for this 'Jaken' as suddenly a tall, dark haired youkai stepped in front of Sesshoumaru. He had a smug look on his face, and Kagome found she didn't like him. Was this Jaken?

"Ah Lord Sesshoumaru! We all wondered where you've been!" the youkai exclaimed, while looking intently at Kagome.

Sesshoumaru, as usual, wasted no time on idle chat. "What do you want?"

Apparently this was not 'Jaken'. Kagome began to get very uncomfortable with this youkai looking her all over.

"You have quite a beauty there Sesshoumaru. Care to explain where you are taking her?" The youkai carefully scrutinized his claws. "I could be wrong, but if I recall correctly, Lord Naraku ordered earlier today that she should remain in her room."

Kagome could swear the air just froze. Sesshoumaru's look certainly didn't look good. "Do not presume that I would listen to anyone's orders. I will be taking her with me."

The youkai's hand began to travel lower, towards his sword. "I am sorry, but Lord Naraku is not done with this girl yet." He grinned. "To say she angered him somewhat would be a huge understatement. So, I suggest you just let her go now."

Being so close to him, Kagome could sense Sesshoumaru was very alert now. "I will do no such thing. I will have my revenge, and no one will get in my way, not even Naraku. She is my prisoner."

The youkai moved towards his sword, but before Kagome could panic or even think something, she was suddenly held by Sesshoumaru's left hand. His right hand began to glow, and a second later something, which she could swear was a whip, lashed out at the youkai.

She watched, horrified, how the whip cut straight through the youkai. His lifeless body fell to the ground in heaps, blood flowing everywhere. There were gasps heard around them, but Kagome didn't notice, she could only stare at all the blood in front of her. Despite her always treating the soldier's wounds, she was still not used to this amount of blood, and it brought back painful memories. Vaguely she could hear Sesshoumaru's voice, talking to someone.

"Bring her to Ah-Un, _now_."

When someone tugged at her sleeve, she didn't follow. She found that she was unable to move at all from shock of what she just witnessed. The tugging increased, but she was not aware of it. Her eyes could not leave the body on the ground.

All she felt was the pain at the back of her head before she passed out.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's Castle, Western lands 

As her eyes fluttered open, she was _not_ happy. For the second time that day, she woke up to another room and she didn't like it one bit. What had happened now? Wincing, she tried to sit upright, but it soon proved to be a very difficult task.

She was feeling dizzy and her head hurt. As she moved to touch the back of her head, she had to suppress a whimper. Somebody had knocked her out!

She looked around the room, but there was not much she could see. It was dark; the only light came from a few candles on a table. She was lying on a large bed on covers of some dark red silk, or so she thought. With her eyes, she could make out more furniture and paintings, but the squinting against the dark made her dizzy again. After awhile she just gave up trying to see anything in this darkness.

She decided she should look if there was a way out of this room, or even better, to find out where she was. She moved to stand up as suddenly the sound of rustling made her jolt upright and promptly fall over, her legs entangled in the sheets. She sat up quickly and her eyes scanned the room again. She felt no aura, but she was convinced that someone was in the room.

"As clumsy as always I see…"

She moved her head to the right, where the voice had come from. She could still see nothing, but there was no doubt who this voice belonged to.

Then, there was some more rustling and a pair of golden eyes was seen in the dark. Soon, Kagome was facing the exact person she thought she would never see again in her life.

She knew that there would be no warm welcome, but she hadn't expected this either. She could almost swear the taiyoukai was angry. Angry at her? It seemed so.

She didn't trust her own voice so she just continued to stare at him. But as he just stared back, she became nervous and started to look at the darkness behind him.

"I want an explanation."

Her eyes darted back to his face, a frown on her face now. "W-what for an explanation?"

His fist came down on the table next to him with a loud crash. "Don't act all innocent." His gaze hardened. "I want to know what you did with the Shikon no Tama. Now."

She shrank back against the floor, terrified of his gaze. His eyes seemed to be on fire. She knew she should say something, but when she did, she could've slapped herself. "W-why?"

A low growl was her only response. Then, the beautiful being in front of her closed his eyes and breathed deeply once. She could swear she had never seen him give of so many emotions. It was scary.

"Why? You even dare to ask _why_? Do you want Naraku to get the Jewel? I need to know what you did with it! I…"

"I destroyed it," she whispered, not expecting him to hear her, but he did.

An incredulous look was bestowed upon her. "Destroyed? Do you even know how to destroy it?"

"N- no…"

"Are you sure you destroyed it? That there is nothing left of it? Nothing Naraku could find and get his hands on?"

"I don't know!" she suddenly yelled at him, willing him to shut his mouth. "What did you want me to do, just give it to him? It was the only option left for me to keep Naraku away from it! Or do _you_ know something I could've done instead, surrounded by thousands of youkai? It was the best I could do!"

"You could've done better. You could've kept the Jewel away from that castle in the first place!"

Silence filled the room as Kagome realized she had nothing to say against that. "I know," she whispered, staring at the ground before her. "It is my fault he almost got the Jewel. I was so foolish to loose it." A wry laugh left her throat. "He didn't have to fight for it at all. I lost it, and he could've just picked it up from the floor had I not realized it in time. I'm such an idiot." Tears filled her eyes, but she couldn't stop herself from asking a question which had been bugging her for a long time now. "Why Sesshoumaru? Why did you attack us?"

He seemed indifferent, but she could almost swear he was a bit uneasy about her crying. His answer however, was clear. "We are enemies."

"Oh," she fidgeted somewhat with her torn dress as she looked at the floor again. "and I thought we were friends."

She didn't see how the taiyoukai's eyes widened and he seemed almost guilty. She could only think about the conversation she once had with her mother. She warned her that he would be different once freed, but Kagome wouldn't believe it, until now. He seemed very different from the last time she had seen him. "Did you knock me out?"

"You failed to obey."

"I did? What are you going to do with me? Where am I?"

"You are my prisoner and that is the only thing you should concern yourself with."

"Didn't you throw your prisoners into the lowest dungeons or cut their heads of?" she asked in a bitter voice.

"You are annoying."

"Is this your revenge for what my sister did to you?"

"Perhaps."

"Could you tell me a bit more then just one word?"

"Could you be anymore annoying than this?"

Kagome's temper began to flare again. "I am not annoying! I want to know what is going to happen to me! Nobody wants to tell me!"

His eyes seemed to be on fire again. "You're alive, aren't you? What are you complaining about?"

She cast her eyes downwards in shame. "I'm sorry…," she blinked away a tear. "I suppose I should thank you."

"For what? Who says I am not going to kill you?"

"Are you?" She tried to overcome her fear and look him directly into his eyes. "If you had the choice, would you kill me or would you spare my life?"

No answer.

"I won't complain," she added in a soft whisper. "I am grateful that I am still alive, although I don't know how that is possible. But I will never forgive myself for what happened to our castle and to the people defending it. So many dead, everything destroyed… all our belongings, all the beautiful art work, everything… will our castle ever be rebuilt? Will there ever be peace again? When will everything be like it used to be again? Or have things changed forever?"

She heard a soft thud as something fell on the bed, but she didn't look up from the ground. She kept watching how her tears fell on her hands, again and again, trying to convince herself that this was just some weird dream of hers again. She heard Sesshoumaru's voice, but the words didn't seem to register.

"Not everything was destroyed."

"Why didn't Naraku kill me?" she whispered, lost in her own world. It seemed so odd, she had been right in front of him, she destroyed the thing he was most after and then she fell unconscious. Why was she still alive? Again, a voice disturbed her thoughts.

"You were lucky."

Then she heard the rustling of clothes, before a door opened and closed and the sound of a key turning was heard. She was locked up, again.

His words kept sounding in her head, again and again. 'You were lucky…' Was it possible that some of her home survived? No. No way.

'You were lucky…'

'Not everything was destroyed.'

For the first time truly hearing his words, she carefully untangled herself from the sheets before standing upright. Faintly she could see the moon trough a high window. She followed its light downwards, until her eyes fell on a small black object on the covers.

Her diary.

* * *

Not so far away from the very room Kagome was currently staring at the bed with large eyes, a tiny flea sat in an enormous library, surrounded by dozens of books. How he could find anything in this chaos will probably remain a mystery forever. 

His brow was furrowed in concentration, and he kept on muttering something in a low voice. A candle was lit, and any book-loving person would ask him how he could possibly put a candle between such valuable books. Or they might just strangle him for his behaviour, who knows?

A sudden yell interrupted the silence in the room, and one would question how such a tiny being could make so much noise. A tiny hat was thrown in the air, along with some papers as Myouga celebrated the happy ending of his little quest. A _safe_ quest one might add. His little voice declared his victory for all to hear.

"I found it!"

* * *

A small village, Southern Lands 

A soft breeze blew through the tall trees surrounding a human village. The sun had already began to set as the days were getting shorter and colder. As another breeze blew, a few slightly brown coloured leaves slowly fell to the ground.

A few humans were still working on the fields close to the village, and in one of the gardens, a woman was busy gathering herbs while looking at a few children who were playing close by. Every now and then, she would look up and see if they were alright, a soft smile on her face as she heard their laughter.

As it suddenly became very quiet, the woman looked up in alarm to see all the children huddled down on one spot, close to the forest. Apparently, they were looking at something one of them kept in his hands. Convinced that it was just some stone or something, she looked back down and continued with her work. However, the silence remained and looking up again, she still found the children looking at something, their faces somewhat excited.

Curious, the woman stood and approached them. Now that she was getting closer, she could hear them whispering among themselves. As they heard her quiet steps, they suddenly silenced and stood, facing her with huge fake smiles.

She lifted an eyebrow and looked sceptically at them. She had enough experience with these children to know they were keeping something from her. Her eyes travelled over each child, one by one, until she found one boy who had hidden his hands behind his back.

She grinned and looked him right in the eyes. "Now, now, why don't you show me what you've found…"

The boy gasped and then looked at the ground. He sighed once before he extended his hand towards her. "We found it lying on the ground." He looked up at her with a hopeful smile. "Can we keep it?"

The woman patted him on his head. "Perhaps, we will see. Now, let us see what you got there."

The boy opened his hand, and a moment later the woman was staring at an object which she hadn't seen before. It seemed to be a piece of something; the edges were sharp and rough as if it had broken of. She pondered on the possibility that it was just some stone.

'Weird…' she thought as she took it and lifted the tiny, pink object close to her eyes to examine it. 'Very weird…'

* * *

A translation of the lyrics at the top (which was in German by the way) Not a perfect translation, but you'll get an idea of what it says. 

Always forward, step by step,  
there is no way back  
and what is now, will never be undone.  
Time runs out on us,  
what is done, is done  
and what is now, will never happen like that again.

And that was chapter 17! I'm soooo sorry for letting you wait so long. Actually, I thought I would be able to update in April already -.- Only something came up again. Ugh. Anyway, there is some good news, only a few weeks left of school and then… summer holiday! This means, no homework and lots of time to write! Whoho! I really hope I can update sooner once the holiday started. It won't take three months though, that's for sure.

I plan on finishing 'Changes' during the summer holidays and maybe this story too, but I think it'll take a bit longer than that. I already know what I am going to write after this, so if anyone wants to know a summary of it, just tell me and I'll put it on my bio, k? It's going to be pretty original (I think it is safe to say that) so I hope you're going to like it. But first, I need to finish my other work…

So, I just want to thank you for all the reviews and emails! As usually I really appreciate them! So please, review again?

I am going to enjoy the day now (big, BIG surprise… I have no homework… I double checked…!) It is 30 degrees over here, so I'm going to enjoy the weather. I hope you all have a nice day!

* * *

DemonWicca: Ah yes, did she destroy it or shatter it? I think you'll be able to answer that now…. 

Robin's-hope: Oh you saw the Phantom of the Opera? Me and my friend wanted to see it too, but we had no time… not fair… tell me, is it good or not? I'm curious…

Fay-sheik-kikyou-chan: Really I'm creepy? You don't know my best friend, do you? (she always says that too…hehe…) And I'll be happy to join you in burning some books… really… I'll burn my physics book… and maybe Dutch? Definitely economics…. Ok, I think you know what I mean. Let's just hope my teachers don't read fanfiction, or else I would be dead.

Raine84: Mmm yes I have this thing with fainting… it was not dying though, just fainting. Next chapter will probably show some more about Kagome's family and their reaction about her being captured.

Lady Lydia: I didn't forget Inuyasha, and you are right, Naraku definitely wanted to kill her. What exactly happened after she passed is not explained in this chapter yet, you'll have to wait for that.

Tsuki Yume: Yes, it is not original, but the Shikon no Tama is always either complete, or shattered and they are shard hunting… it gets boring…

ElvenYoukai (or should I say x.Miserable.Bliss.x… hehe..): As I already told you, no need to feel sorry… and yes, poor Kagome… I hope you're doing well

FireKitsune: Mmm I could do that… I assure you, my writing is much better when I do it in my own language. But I would write a different story…

Inu Youkai Gurl: I know, cliffies are evil. But if people get frustrated about it, at least they worked… I'm afraid I left some sort of cliff hanger again… I can't help it…

Duzzie: Ah yes that is the question… destroyed or shattered or…?

Mayukagurl: Eh…please don't die? At least I know you like the story!

Ayame9111: Good feeling you have…

TiAaRiEl: Ah yes, it can get frustrating if you would write him all lovesick after four chapters or something. I agree on that. And don't worry, I will confess, I always forget to review… ok… now everyone can get pissed at me… oops…

IcyAsh: Ah…sugar… starry eyes

Kagome21: Nope, Kikyou is very much alive…

psychoDraGon: Eh… I learned it nowhere… but I always had to do a lot of writing in school… actually, I just had to write an article for some boring subject and I had to write it 'so that you couldn't distinguish it from some piece of work written a professional journalist'… the things they torture you with… But I got a 10! Whoho…. And as I told another reviewer, my writing would be better in my own language (I would know more words, formulate things better and so on) but well, thanks for the compliment!

White Plum: Sesshoumaru to the rescue scene… what do you think, was there such a scene? Don't worry, I will tell it eventually…

Ele: Aus Deutschland? Das ist ja eine Überrasschung! ‚... Now I am ready with reading' Wie lange hat es gedauert bis du die ganze Geschichte gelesen hast? Ich bin neugierig… Und eigentlich kann ich auch nichts über mein Still sagen, denn ich komme aus den Niederlanden, und mein English ist nicht perfekt (genau wie mein Deutsch... zumindest die grammatik) Weisst du, das hier ist eine schöne Abwechslung... ein einziges mal kein English... whoah... und es heisst ‚patiently' ... oh nein, schon wieder English...

Serenitygirl13: One thing I will always do is writing a happy ending... I hate it when it's not happy... winks back

Foxdemon113: Wow, midnight? Actually, I should shut up because I'm always reading at midnight too... ok, I'll shut up...

Silverdragondemon: Nope, it's not the end. Hey, my friend would like your name... or at least the first part. Her penname is ‚silverdragon'... funny...

FoxyFlower: Ok, you wrote this review on: 2005-03-19… and you had spring break? Not fair…

Me: Yes, many questions… and the last one is always a mystery to me… when will I update…. Ugh…

OniyuriGaaru: Nope, I didn't get all the awards (too much concurrence out there… ) but I was nominated…

Jinenji: I already have a solution for beta-ing, but if I ever need someone, can I still ask you?

C: Uhm… right now?

Mary: Yeah, I would like that too…

Naomi T: Eh…good question! is checking her hair colour Nope, not blond… although it kinda feels like it. Mmm… well I haven't really thought of this… let's say, he made it after her death but it was still too late to resurrect her? Hehe I doubt the almighty Takahashi would read this… it would be fun though.

Mori'quessir: Great!


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Stupid mistakes

_**Chapter Eighteen: Stupid mistakes**_

_I've been living for so long,  
many seasons have past me by.  
I've seen kingdoms through ages  
rise and fall, I've seen it all. _

I've seen the horror, I've seen the wonders  
happening just in front of my eyes.  
Will I ever, will I never free myself by making it right?

Within Temptation – Jillian

* * *

Somewhere in the mountains, Southern Lands

How could this have happened?

It was the one question a lot of people asked themselves these days. Two people, however, had already moved on to the next question.

How could they make this right?

Two women were seated at a table in one of the huts that formed a rather tiny human village. Although they were both beautiful, one of them was clearly older. The elder woman had an air of wisdom and elegance over her. A few small wrinkles by her eyes were the only signs that gave away her age. Her eyes, which used to be so bright, were now dull and slightly red from crying.

The younger woman, who was seated across from her, was currently pulling her hands through her hair in a nervous gesture. They both looked alike, but there were differences. Both women, however, had one thing they clearly had in common.

They were worried sick.

Despite the fact that both women seemed to be perfectionists, the room they were in right now was anything but perfect. The table they were sitting at wasn't perfect either. All across it, various maps were strewn. Two glasses stood somewhere, lost between all the papers. Both women were eyeing the mess around them as if it was their last lifeline; the solution to their problem.

Unfortunately, it wasn't.

The younger woman suddenly sighed, shoving some maps aside. "This isn't getting us any farther. I'm sick of this! I'm going to attack!"

Her mother gave her a knowing look. "I know you are just as desperate as I am Kikyou, but--"

"Oh yes I'm desperate! I bet you anything that she's still in our castle. Where else should they take her!"

The elder woman shook her head in disapproval. "This is not right. You know that. It is suicide."

"We would surprise them."

"Kikyou," the light of a candle close by illuminated the woman's tired face. Her shoulders were hunched over as if she were carrying a heavy burden. "Calm down. You've seen their army. It would be suicide to attack now. Believe me, I want Kagome out as much as you do, but we have to focus."

"But what if we wait, we don't even know if she's alive anymore!"

An uneasy silence fell, before both women began to talk at the same time.

"I'm sorry.''

"She's alive."

Kikyou looked sceptical at her mother. "How would you know? I don't want to think about it either, but we should consider the possibility. One thing I know for sure, if we wait, she'll definitely be dead!"

The elven queen sighed. "You saw the purple light today, didn't you?" As Kikyou nodded, she continued. "You felt it too?"

Again a nod.

"That was definitely Kagome doing dear. I don't think they killed her. She is too useful. And…"

Kikyou cocked her head. "And what?"

Her mother seemed to hesitate somewhat, but not for long. "That lord you captured…"

Kikyou was immediately on edge. "What about it? Alright, I'll admit I was wrong. It was one of the stupidest mistakes I ever made. But I'm not the only one at fault, I warned you about letting him walk around like one of us. He probably took his time exploring our castle. We're lucky he didn't find the secret passageway."

Again, her mother shook her head. "No, it's not that. He might've done that, but I meant something else… never mind though."

However, Kikyou was not about to give up. "What mother? What about him?"

The other woman seemed to think about her words for a moment. "I'm not sure, but instinct tells that something is going on between him and Kagome… call it a mother's instinct…"

Kikyou looked at her as if she expected her to start laughing any moment now, claiming it was just a joke. However, the laugh never came. The young women looked puzzled, but decided not to ponder any longer on it. "Whatever you say mother. The only thing that matters is if she's alive or not. If you're convinced she's alive, I can only hope you're right. But the chances of you being right are getting smaller as we talk. I don't trust it. And second… what happened to the Shikon no Tama?"

The burden resting on their shoulders just seemed to get even heavier.

Kikyou began to fumble with one of the maps on the table, a rather unusual act for her. But who cared about that? After all, the last hours she hadn't acted like herself either. "We all agreed," she started slowly. "That apparently, Kagome lost it, or forget about it, something along those lines. Being the ever quiet and sacrificing person like always, she…" Kikyou swallowed past the lump in her throat. "… she went back to search for it. Assuming she found the Jewel, there is no way she could hide it. They… they would all sense it and come after her. And that light earlier today… is it connected? Or…"

"She destroyed it."

Kikyou's head snapped up abruptly to give her mother a hard look. "And you call me desperate? You cannot destroy the Shikon no Tama. We don't know how to do it. It is impossible!"

"You are right. We don't know how to completely destroy it, or more specifically, how rid the world of its presence. But it is not entirely impossible to destroy it." As her daughter still looked confused, she explained. "It's not impossible to break, to _shatter_ it."

A silence fell.

"B-but… how is this possible? Where did you get this idea?"

"My father told me." The queen cast a quick look around the room, as if to convince herself that no one else was listening. "As soon as I saw the light this morning, I _knew_ he was telling the truth. Up till now, I never believed him. I thought he was just telling me some made up story before I went to bed. Even as a little child, I had heard this one rule numerous times, the Shikon no Tama cannot be destroyed."

The woman looked at her confused daughter from the corner of her eyes, before she focused her stare at the candle, mesmerized by its flame dancing around in the air. After staring at it a few seconds, she finally composed herself and looked her daughter right in her eyes.

"You'd better pay attention now darling," her expression hardened. "I'm about to tell you something very important."

* * *

Elven castle, Southern lands

Somehow, it just didn't feel right.

Somehow, this might be one of the stupidest mistakes in his life.

He had no right doing this.

Inuyasha gave a frustrated sigh while he pulled his hands trough his hair. He was sitting on a bed, in front of him was a table, and on that table…

'_No,'_ he clenched his fists. _'I really shouldn't do this. If she would find out…'_

But since when did he thought twice about anything? Especially when it concerned an elf that might've had a part into his father's killing? Since when were her feelings important?

A low growl left his throat, and before he could think twice about it, the little black book had found its way into his hands, falling open at some random page.

Now, he had never believed in something like fate. Your life was in your own hands, and you just make the best of it. Yes, he truly believed that.

But now he began to doubt such a thing.

Of all the pages where the damned book could've opened, it had to be that one. Of all the things he could find, it had to be this. Of all the rooms he could've entered, it had to be _hers_.

Now one might go and rant about differences between humans and youkai, youkai and elves, and so on… but there were always those who were to curious for their own good.

Like _him_.

His eyes scanned the page, carefully reading the words. And the more he read, the more he began to doubt a theory that already seemed to be ancient. A theory of how a murder was committed… now, it all seemed to be a bit _too_ perfect.

'_It pains me to hear these accusations… apparently they condemned us the minute they found him… and I ask myself, since when has an elf ever killed but in self defence? Every day, I see the enormous strain this war has upon our people. We are kind hearted people, not fit for warfare. Every single day I worry. Every single battle I want to vomit.' _

'_I cried tonight. The late Lord Inutaisho wasn't really our enemy. I never thought him to be in league with Naraku, unlike him, the great taiyoukai was an honourable person. I can only mourn him, and pray they will once find the one who did this…'_

It all went on like that, he could clearly notice how much it had pained her that she and her people were held responsible for the killing. The whole time, it didn't really sound like the calm and collected elf he knew, but apparently she was truly upset about it. Otherwise, he thought, she just hid most of her feelings.

'_She cried for father…'_

Somehow, that seemed to matter the most to him.

* * *

"Out of my way, you scum!"

It was extremely interesting to see the change within this one creature; from small and submissive, to just as small, but _very_ demanding.

However, it didn't help much.

Just as his master, the youkai walking around either ignored the little toad like… _something_… or just gave him a good kick.

The injustice of some things.

Finally, after what seemed to be ages, Jaken had made it to the room where his Lord's brother had been for hours now. With an indignant huff, he straightened his clothes and glared at the back of yet another one of his offenders. Did everyone have to treat small persons like that?

His staff firmly in his hands, he knocked once before storming trough the door, his mood rather horrible. The silver haired youkai inside jumped, before quickly hiding something behind his back. Lucky for him, Jaken was still too much preoccupied, wallowing in his self pity, muttering curses at random persons who he didn't even know.

"Goddammit toad, what do you want? Don't tell me you came barging in for nothing!"

Jaken gave a small huff. "I am here upon your brother's command. He sends me to give you a message."

"Well?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru, in all his wisdom has decided to…"

Inuyasha gave a furious growl. In all the years he had lived, he still hadn't got used to the unusual devotion and stupidity of this creature. "For god's sake, just tell me already! I'm not going to listen to you all day."

"Your brother means to pull back his army. He expects you back at the castle within a few days."

Inuyasha just stared at his brother's small servant. "He… he wants to pull back? Why?"

Jaken gave him an incredulous look. "Lord Sesshoumaru does not have to explain his actions to you." He pointed at him with a small finger. "And I suggest you hurry, he is not in a good mood."

With that, the toad stomped out of the room again, beginning his journey back outside. His staff firmly clutched in his hands, his eyes moved from left, to right, to left again, trying to spot any attacker. He would show them. He was the personal servant of the almighty Lord Sesshoumaru, no one should hit him. Any more raised fists and he would beat them to pulp.

Somehow… he utterly failed to do just that…

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands

Kagome felt like she would suffocate.

For what seemed like the hundredth, if not the thousandth time that day, she paced around the room in which she was locked in currently. Every second, the sound of a key turning seemed to echo trough the room, but in the end it was just her imagination. But it showed one thing; how much she ached to get out.

A quick investigation of the room had proved that Sesshoumaru was not as naive as she had been. There was no second, unguarded door to be found. No secret passageway, as far as she knew. No friends to save her either.

In the end, she had settled down on the windowsill, staring at the beautiful garden which lay directly beneath her. She had discovered it a few hours ago, upon starting her search. Sitting there, with the wind blowing trough her hair, she could almost forget the fact that she was locked up. Keyword: almost.

She kept on clenching and unclenching her hands with a frown on her face. Frequently she would fumble somewhat on her torn dress, then stand up, walk around a bit, but soon she would be at the window again. She was not claustrophobic, but right now, she did start to act somewhat like it.

She was scared, nervous and confused. One side of her reasoned it was better to be here, where there was no Naraku. That side thought Sesshoumaru wanted to get her out, who knows, maybe her being a prisoner was all just a trick… that side still remembered Sesshoumaru how he was as their prisoner, and it was still hoping.

Another side of her was more pessimistic. It constantly reminded her of the fact how cold Sesshoumaru had acted, how angry he seemed to be. But then the other side came again, reminding of how rash his actions were, how he seemed to act rather on _feelings_, than on logic, something that wasn't at all like Sesshoumaru.

Maybe Sesshoumaru was just as confused as she was… Maybe, _somehow_, the walls of that castle that was him, maybe those walls were shaking and about to come down. Maybe he really had changed, like the optimistic side of her wanted to believe.

Maybe his heart would start to melt… or maybe not. She really didn't know anymore.

And that is how she kept pondering on different scenarios, how she became even more confused, even more scared of what would happen. The train of thoughts in her head just wouldn't stop.

Suddenly, that sound of a key turning went trough her head again. She had almost dismissed it as another trickery of her imagination, that is, until she felt another presence in the room.

She really didn't know what to say or do… so all she did was press her back even closer to the wall, stare even harder at that beautiful garden and imagine herself as walking trough it instead of being locked in this room.

Yet even those silly day dreams were not allowed, for a deep voice echoed trough the room, startling her and letting her come back to reality with a loud crash.

"I actually thought you were a smart person… Apparently, I was wrong."

Slowly, she turned her head. She was very careful to not look into his eyes, or look at his face too long. It would get her even more panicked, more confused. It didn't take her long to understand his words.

With a look that could almost be ashamed, but at the same time resolute, she stole a quick glance at the object he was staring at. A plate… still full of food. All cold… just as cold as his heart…or? But before she could start thinking all over again, she forced herself to speak.

"I am not hungry."

She inwardly flinched at how weak her voice sounded. Again, her eyes turned to look outside the window. She didn't realize how miserable she looked or the look of longing in her eyes. But somebody else did.

"What is it that you wish for?"

Again, she was pulled from her thoughts, her dreams. She turned around a bit too quick and for about a millisecond, she did look into his eyes. And for a moment, the optimistic side of her seemed to get the upper hand because really, the angry look he had yesterday was gone. Yesterday, he had truly looked like a wild and feral animal… but not now.

Still, he did not look the way he did weeks ago…

"Nothing," she muttered.

She could almost imagine the frown that was on his face now. Almost invisible, but it was there. If not on his face, it was definitely in his voice. "You lie."

In a flash, a memory came to her again. Somewhere in their library, the ancient books, all the wisdom… everything that was now destroyed…

"_Don't you remember what I told you once? I told you, I hate people who lie…"_

'_No,' _she though_t. 'I don't want him to hate me…'_

"I want… too much."

"I will decide what is too much and what is not," he bit out.

She flinched first at his tone, but then she had to take a deep breath in order to remain calm. One thing about him hadn't changed at all, he still knew how to get under her skin, whether it was on purpose or not.

"I want to get out," she whispered. She quickly snuck a glance outside. "I don't want to be locked up. It… the feeling… it just suffocates me."

Of al the replies she could've gotten, she had not thought this one would be possible. Not even the optimistic side of her thought it to be a possible option.

"As you wish…," her eyes widened. "you will be granted the same privileges which I had. You may walk around freely, as long as you don't leave the castle, which will be impossible for you, I will make sure of that."

"Thank you," she said with a shaky voice.

He only snorted. "Soon, you would wish to be in this room again. Do not presume that the youkai in this castle will give you a warm welcome. Too many lost family and friends to your people."

And then he turned again, walking out of the room. Her eyes had saddened after his last words, and despite her new found freedom – if one could call it that – she still had one last wish. One that might never be granted, it all depended on one person.

"I want to know… how it is possible that I'm still alive…"

She had no idea, however, that the same person who could grant this last wish had heard her final words. Just like she had no idea of his thoughts… for doubt had worked its way into Sesshoumaru's mind, making him think about his earlier decision of keeping everything quiet. His thoughts all centred around one question now.

Should he tell her?

* * *

Elven castle, Southern Lands

"No!"

The two guards only had a few seconds to feel the fear upon seeing the blood red eyes of their master. Then… they didn't see anything anymore… forever.

Kagura stood watching at the end of the hall, hiding her face behind her fan. To be honest, she found the situation to be rather amusing. In fact, every misfortune that befell her so called 'father' was like a birthday present which small children would be so eager for. And this… this truly was a gift.

A huge one.

Not only had he failed to obtain his so precious Jewel, he had also lost the girl… She knew how he must've felt when he lost the Jewel; after all, she had to witness his obsession with it for years on end. She had predicted his reaction quite correctly.

The girl however calmed his anger somewhat. The promise of her torture and possible death seemed to cheer him up a bit. The promise of revenge… of toying with other's emotions… was always welcome to the Northern Lord. And then, he lost her too…

Such stupid mistakes.

But he wouldn't have to pay for it, oh no. First the guards… then… possibly she herself. And later… who knows, the almighty Lord Sesshoumaru himself?

Now his reaction was something which she hadn't predicted correctly. In fact, his behaviour had startled her somewhat… so unlike the usual stoic Lord.

The 'old' Sesshoumaru wouldn't have cared if that girl's throat would be slit up by her master. No, not at all… he might've done it himself, but she would probably be too insignificant for that.

But maybe… maybe the Western Lord was just as obsessed with revenge as Naraku was. Maybe, he wanted the girl to pay. And if he ever set his eyes upon you, you would suffer…and at his hand only. Yes, maybe it went that way…

"Lord Naraku!"

One of the soldiers came running down the hall at full speed. Apparently, he hadn't been around when Naraku discovered the disappearance of his latest treasure, or else he would be hiding at the other side of the castle, just like everyone else. Except _her_ of course. She always had to stay right at the front.

The Northern Lord stared at the soldier. "What is it?" he all but purred.

Kagura knew this tone was dangerous.

"We… we were hunting in the forest," the soldier stopped a moment to regain his breath. "And we found this."

He bowed while he stretched his arm towards Naraku. Kagura watched, her expression carefully hidden by her fan, how a dangerous gleam came into Naraku's eyes. This soldier found something… worth finding.

The soldier was dead soon enough, but she paid no mind to that. Naraku's voice had already predicted his death. Instead, she found out what the sudden gleam in his eyes meant.

In his hand, the Northern Lord held a tiny piece of his most beloved and sought after item.

This was definitely no gift…

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands

It felt good to be outside.

As the door opened and Kagome stepped outside for the first time in hours, a beautiful smile appeared on her face. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the clean air deeply. It had been a real bother to find the same garden she saw while locked up in that room, her being too scared to ask anyone for directions. Not that the place was crowded anyway, with the majority of its population now at _her_ castle. The only person she encountered was a woman, and her look wasn't that friendly at all.

It appeared Sesshoumaru was right after all.

So she avoided contact, making it a habit to shrink into the shadows while someone passed. Now they could probably smell she was there, but they ignored her. Maybe it was Sesshoumaru's doing? Still she didn't dare to ask for any direction, and it hurt. At home, everyone loved her. She could step up to anyone and asked them something. They were her friends. But here? It all felt so hostile. And despite the fact that she was allowed to get out of her room, she still felt like she would suffocate. Would that feeling ever end?

The interior of the castle didn't seem to help either. It was dominated by dark colours, but not like the dwelling of some evil villain… no, those dark colours gave her the impression that whoever lived here must be a pretty sad person. Not that she disliked those colours, oh no. But there was just no light here, no happiness.

The problem was she knew damn well who lived here. And it only made her sadder.

So when she finally found that garden, she could almost make a little pirouette and dance, but she refrained from doing that. Instead, she closed the door quietly and wandered off trough the flowers and plants.

The whole garden formed a contrast with the castle's insides. It almost felt as if another person was responsible for this. It felt considerably lighter. Whoever tended to this garden had to love flowers, she concluded, eyes taking in all the colours. If one looked closely, they could see an almost happy look in her eyes.

Yes, it felt good to be outside.

She walked on and on, an excited gleam in her eyes now. When she saw a small bench close by, she sat down, her eyes taking in the wonderful sight in front of her.

She didn't know how long she sat there until she heard the noise. A few bushes close by rustled somewhat, and a few seconds later three little children burst forward from it. They continued their conversation, their voices sounding rather cheerful.

Suddenly, one of them stopped and gasped as he saw her. The others followed his gaze and soon they were all staring at her as if she were a ghost. She smiled at them, they were just too cute in her opinion.

"Well hello, who are you?" she asked in a soft voice.

But to her surprise, they suddenly backed away from her. She frowned. Since when was a child ever afraid of her? Surely they were just remembering their parents warning 'don't talk to strangers' or something, right? And then, she felt like she was suffocating again. Was Sesshoumaru right after all?

One of the children suddenly growled, his eyes hardening. The other two just looked plain scared, looking between their friend and this strange woman.

"Who is she?" whispered one of the two.

The same child growled again. He had dark hair and was taller than the other two. "She is an elf," he snarled, and the other two gasped, now looking at her as if she was something dangerous.

"Elves are dangerous," one of them squeaked. "Mommy says they will kill you."

"They killed my father," the dark haired boy growled. "She's a witch. She'll cast a spell upon you!"

Kagome just sat there, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes widened with a horrified look in them. She, a witch? And her people murders? Did they really think they killed for fun? But then she realised Sesshoumaru was right, there was a lot of animosity towards her people in this place. Too many had lost loved ones in this damn war. The whole thing was just one stupid mistake. A horrible event in history.

"Please don't be scared, I don't want to hurt you," she pleaded with them, her eyes now watering. She thought back to Shippou, he had accepted her with ease, and she him, surely they wouldn't continue like this? But as soon as she took one step towards them, they turned and ran away, the smaller ones sobbing, the elder one sending her a death glare.

As if on instinct she extended her hand, but soon she let if fall to her side again. Tears came into her eyes before she collapsed onto the ground, the sounds of her sobs now filling the air. She could've taken anything, but these small children were so afraid of her, and it hurt so much.

But soon she was disturbed again. A noise made her look up, and again there was a child staring at her. This time, it was a young girl with long black hair and a bright coloured dress. But this child, she sensed with amazement, was _human_. How could a human walk around here like that? Youkai used them as slaves, yes, but the dress this child wore was expensive, and she looked healthy.

She was almost too afraid to talk to this child, afraid she would scare her away too. But on the other hand, she wanted to try again. She wanted to know if she really looked like such a monster. But before she could say anything, the girl beat her to it.

As soon as she saw her tears, the small child hurried towards her. She stopped when she was right in front of her, and as Kagome gazed curiously at her, the girl extended her right hand which had been hidden behind her back up till now. In her hand, firmly clutched between her little fingers, was the most beautiful flower Kagome had ever seen.

Her gaze went from the flower, to the girl, to the flower again. The girl cocked her head and gave her a toothy smile, before taking her hand and putting the flower in it.

And then… she disappeared again.

Kagome blinked, now staring at the flower. Then slowly, a small smile came upon her face. Maybe she wasn't that horrible… maybe...

* * *

He had followed her from the moment she left her room. Why? He honestly didn't know. Perhaps he wanted to know how she would manage, or maybe he was worried she would encounter a youkai who was out for revenge? He did tell everyone to not touch her, but there was a lot of anger and animosity here towards her people. So in the end, he just couldn't sit down and do his usual work, and that is how he witnessed her pathetic attempts at finding the garden.

He remembered how much she loved nature from when he was held captive, and so he already guessed where she looked at with so much longing in her eyes. He didn't know why he had locked her up in the first place. Out of habit probably. _She_ thought he would throw her into the dungeons. In truth, that thought had never crossed his mind.

He hadn't really thought a lot recently. His actions were more driven by the feeling that he just had to do something. From the moment she did _something_ with the Jewel and looked into his eyes, he had been busy getting her out of that wretched castle, and without a scratch. He hadn't really thought about it actually. It all happened as if on reflex. He had even attacked Naraku where he always used to carefully guard his thoughts around him, not showing too many positive signs, but not too negative ones either. A frown appeared on his face as he replayed everything again, from the moment that the girl had burst trough the doors and stormed out into the court yard.

* * *

_He thought nothing._

_He felt nothing. _

_He was just watching._

_Watching like a predator would watch his prey._

_The dark haired girl seemed to radiate with power. All around him, youkai were steadily backing off, in fear off what would happen. Despite her shy, cheerful and compassionate character, never before had this girl looked more like a warrior. Or at least, her body did._

_Her eyes betrayed her._

_They had the look of a cornered animal. Fear was evident, but also determination. Instinct told him she was dangerous now._

_He still felt nothing._

_The dark haired youkai whom she was facing looked as sinister as always. Dark and dangerous, he would probably never change. He watched indifferent at the creature's pathetic display of charisma. He loved to toy with others, especially their emotions. But he could never fool _him

_He kept watching and watching. He was the only who didn't move, utter a gasp, widened his eyes at the girl's actions. He was the only one who didn't shield his eyes to protect them against the bright purple light._

_He was not to be hurt by such a trivial thing._

_Faces began to blur. Voices and screams erupted around him, but he kept watching only one individual. Only one mattered._

_If possible, she seemed more like a warrior than she had minutes before. Her bow still in her hands, her eyes determinated. For a fleeting moment, her face looked older. Wiser. _

_But soon, it was gone. Now, she resembled a cornered animal even more. Fear kicked in again. The blue flames surrounding her body seemed like a dying fire. They had set out, and now, they were slowly withdrawing themselves. He realised something._

_She was exhausted._

_The faces surrounding him were still blurred. A dark figure began to approach the object of his study from the right. It was steadily closing in, but he could only continue to watch as the beautiful girl slowly turned her head._

_A second later, he was looking into familiar brown eyes again. _

_And… he felt something._

_In truth, the connection between them lasted less than a second. But it seemed to last so much longer. There was pain in her eyes, and a horrible burden. Maybe for the first time, he could understand just a tiny bit how it was to be the protector of such a tiny, seemingly insignificant object which in reality was the most sought after item of their world. _

_A shiver ran trough her, and one single tear left her eye. He kept watching in fascination how it began its journey downwards, his eyes trailing its path across her cheek. _

_She began to fall._

_His eyes still transfixed upon the girl, his right hand lashed out. A long and deadly whip seemed to appear out of nowhere, moving trough the air in a way a snake would move over the ground. _

_Everything seemed to happen at once._

_The girl was still falling as an angry cry pierced the air around them. For the first time in minutes, every single individual present seemed to concentrate at one point. _

_Everyone watched the three persons amidst them with interest. The dark haired girl was lying on the ground, her long hair fluttering around her. Her hands lay limp beside her body, her bow now lying innocently on the ground._

_The Western Lord still hadn't moved. He seemed more like a statue with his stone gaze. But some among them knew he was on edge. One move, and he would react. But it seemed as if he was watching only one other person._

_The one who uttered the angry cry, seconds earlier._

_The infamous lord of the North stood looking down at himself with an expression that almost resembled surprise. Across his chest was one long slash which now slowly began to bleed. His dark eyes looked up and bored themselves into golden ones with a deadly glare. _

_The silver haired youkai to his left didn't seem to be fazed with the look directed towards him. He was, indeed, on edge. Less than a second after the bright light had left almost everyone blinded, he had felt the shift in the other lord's youki. _

_He was outraged._

_He had sensed this countless times before. Although this time, _something_ was different. It almost felt as if something was not completely right with the other's youki. But despite that, one fact still remained._

_An outraged youkai is _never_ a good thing._

_His eyes left the girl for the first time in minutes as the sound of an angry voice clang._

"_And what do you want to achieve by this!" a furious Naraku all but hissed at him. _

_He returned the lord's heated glare with a calm look, one eye brow slowly rising. "I could be asking you the same question," he countered. _

"_You are still asking! I will kill that girl for her insolence. She truly believed she could defy me! Are you blind?" finally Naraku seemed to become more like himself. As he spoke next, his voice and behaviour had a cold and calculating edge to it once again. "I will not ask this twice. Move."_

"_No," his youki flared in a response to that of the other. "You are not thinking clearly. There is no use in killing her."_

"_Insisting on your revenge?" Naraku asked sarcastically._

_The other Lord inclined his head. "Among other things." His eyes darted towards the girl for a moment before they focused on Naraku again. "She will be useful to us. She knows a _lot_."_

_The youkai surrounding them began to nod, realising this was true. She would probably know a lot about the castle, their opponent's army and other things. _

_A tense silence fell._

"_Fine," Naraku smiled evilly. "I can still torture her _after _she answered our questions." He gestured to a few youkai standing close by. "Lock her up." His eyes narrowed at the silver haired youkai who still hadn't moved from his spot. Their eyes locked, Naraku's dark eyes willing the other to get his message across. "She is not to leave her room. No one will talk to her. She is _my _prisoner."_

_Naraku had just made a stupid mistake._

_She wouldn't be his prisoner for long._

_Sesshoumaru turned and walked away without another word._

* * *

Whenever the events of that morning played trough his mind, a frown would appear on his face and stay there for a long, long time. It had been a stupid mistake to attack the Northern Lord. Maybe getting the young elf out of there was a mistake too. Naraku was bound to watch him closely now and to be honest, he was growing quiet tired from all the spies he had discovered so far. He felt as if he was really close to showing the Northern Lord just how much he distrusted him, just like his father.

But he would wait a little longer. He needed to know just what exactly happened to the Jewel. Rumours and gossip had started soon enough, and the main conclusion from everyone was that the Shikon no Tama was destroyed… just like that. But he had a feeling there was more to it…

He continued to watch how the young woman wandered around the garden, her eyes now totally different from how they looked back in that room. He realized he would've let her out of her room eventually, it had just felt wrong to lock her up. It really was as if it would kill her from the inside if one did that.

He watched how the three little boys showed her just how hostile everyone was here. He was determinated to stay his usual stoic self, but as he saw her tears he found himself getting angry at those children, even though he had a lot of hostile thoughts towards elves too. It took little effort from his side to make himself known to them, effectively scaring them away.

And then, he witnessed the most surprising thing.

The little girl he had allowed to stay with him, Rin, seemed to appear out of nowhere. He really didn't know what he thought of her. Or why he allowed her to stay. Just like he didn't know why he just had to get Kagome out of Naraku's reach.

For once in his life, he didn't know something.

And it was frustrating.

He watched with interest how the little girl gave her flower to the elf. He knew it was Rin's favourite flower, and her way of comforting someone. He had found out that the girl didn't talk too much. Why? He didn't know… _again_.

As he watched how she ran off again and how a beautiful smile appeared on Kagome's face, he knew he had seen enough. He really had to leave now, before he would do something else without _thinking_.

Sometimes he really wondered if his brain had wandered off.

* * *

Somewhere in the mountains, Southern Lands

Hours had passed, but still the two women remained right were they were, sitting on a table, littered with maps and whatnot. If possible, that same table had become even more chaotic than it had been that morning.

But still, no solution was found.

Instead of the heated bickering that had been heard around that morning, now a tense silence filled the room. New discoverings were pondered upon, possible strategies were pondered, then dismissed again.

The women were lost into their own world, and so their reaction to the soft knock on the door wasn't that surprising. They both jumped before two set of eyes found each other and the youngest stood and approached the door, opening it and slipping outside.

Within a minute, she was inside again. Her head was bowed as she closed the door and sat back down again.

The elder woman placed one hand upon her daughter's arm. "Kikyou, what is it? What happened, tell me!"

Slowly, the young woman looked up to stare into her mother's eyes, for the first time since hours a triumphant grin on her face.

"Good news mother… good news."

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western Lands

What had she _ever_ done to deserve this?

Kagome was positive she would go crazy in here. There she was, sitting in one room with a certain taiyoukai who was studying her intently.

Just an hour ago, she had still been in that lovely garden. Greatly troubled by the behaviour of three little children yet somewhat at peace with the kind gesture of another child, so all in all she had enjoyed herself much more than she would ever do in here.

She was currently staring at the floor yet again, something which she did a lot while in the presence of the silver haired man in front of her. It was just eating at her from the inside that he had said absolutely nothing about the last time they saw each other, instead behaving in a very weird way. Last night, he seemed angry at practically everything. Today he was pretty much his usual non-responsive self again. Maybe he had a positive and negative side too who were constantly battling for the upper hand? Because she damn well had them.

She had absolutely _no _idea what he wanted. He had just shown up like that and uttered a grand total of two words: 'Follow me.' Very clarifying, she decided with a sarcastic note to it. And what was the whole purpose of staring at her like that? What was he doing?

She had been praying, no almost pleading and begging for an interrupting of… of this… and finally it seemed to be granted.

She suddenly felt something itch on her cheek, and with all the frustration already in her, she slapped herself, a moment later staring down at what seemed to be a tiny flea… with a hat!

Her eyes widened as the tiny creature suddenly made a soft 'pop' and straightened himself, then glared at her and started to yell. "What is it with you people and hitting me, huh! Here I am working my ass of and…"

"Myouga that will do."

Both were startled by the deep voice and turned to look at Sesshoumaru, who seemed to be a tad bit annoyed. Kagome noticed how the flea seemed to shrink somewhat in size before he bowed and apologized.

He then hopped of her hand and seated himself on the desk, one of the very few things that had kept her sane in the past few minutes, since it was the only thing separating her and a very confusing taiyoukai. He took of his hat and made it quiet a show of wiping the sweat of his brow, until a cough made him start and apologize all over again.

"I distinctly remember you telling me that you had spent hours inside the library and made a rather interesting discovery? Am I right?"

"Yes, yes," Myouga replied hurriedly. Secretly, Kagome was amazed that there even were flee youkai, who talked and had a name… oh well. "You see, not so long ago I witnessed this extraordinary event, I assume you saw it yourself since you where present and you see, it amazed me so much and…"

"Come to the point."

Kagome saw with amusement how the little flea almost jumped at Sesshoumaru's voice and she realized he was rambling on and on because he was… nervous… maybe even scared. Somehow it was quite funny to see someone else in this torment, someone who wasn't her.

"Alright, alright," Myouga swallowed while his eyes darted around the room, no doubt already searching a route to escape. "It reminded me of something I thought I heard about before. So I set out on a quest to discover the truth," his chest seemed to swell with pride. "and I discovered this."

He pointed to a piece of paper which had been lying on Sesshoumaru's desk all the while now. She had already wondered what is was about, and now she was even more curious.

"You see, this piece of paper, which I discovered inside a very ancient book, tells us about a similar sight. It was from some human monk I believe who witnessed the same thing that occurred just recently. The bright purple light… the enormous power… yes, quite interesting."

Kagome gasped, while Sesshoumaru merely raised one perfectly formed eye brow. "That's impossible!" she uttered with a voice that almost sounded insulted. "In case you don't know, that light was caused by the Shikon no Tama as I destroyed it, and we all known that should be impossible! It can't be that this has happened before."

Sesshoumaru's gaze fixed itself upon her again and she cursed herself for opening her mouth and taking the liberty of speaking. She still didn't know what he was up to. Maybe it was better to keep quiet.

The tiny flea seemed to be in his element now as he wiggled his tiny finger at her. "Impossible you say? Nah, I believed that too… up till now. You see, this monk was pretty curious too. How this piece of paper got into our library I might never know, but this monk happened to be an advisor or close friend to the royal family… and not our royal family," at her gasp, he nodded. "Yes, I found out that this man lived inside your castle. Now to get to the point, my Lord, I shall tell you what happened."

Kagome noticed how Sesshoumaru seemed to listen intently now. Well, it was better if he listen than stared anyway… She remembered how he had asked her the previous night what she had done to the Jewel… apparently he really wanted to know.

"It appeared that back then, the elves were still trying to destroy the Jewel. We all know they gave up on it eventually, and we all assumed it was because they simply didn't know how to do it. And they didn't, but there was another reason to it. You see, at some point they thought they had managed to destroy it, but they soon found that such a thing was not the case. They didn't destroy it, no, they _shattered_ it."

He paused a moment for effect and he seemed quite satisfied at her shocked expression. "Shattered into tenths, maybe hundreds of tiny pieces. At first they thought that the powers of the Shikon no Tama should be non existent now and so they did nothing. This monk however proved things to be otherwise. You see, he encountered a youkai and defeated it. He was curious though, because this youkai had been more powerful than it should've been. So he started a little investigation and… he found a little shard of the Shikon no Tama. Similar incidents were soon reported and so the elves found out that things could turn into a disaster. Various individuals had already started to collect pieces, and just one piece already caused a lot of damage. And so they too began to collect the shards. They completed the Jewel eventually, as you can all read here. And they decided to keep as a whole and guard it, rather than try to destroy it again."

"They… they didn't want to fully destroy it after the damage it inflicted?" Kagome stuttered.

Myouga shrugged. "They didn't know how to destroy it then and they still don't do it now. The closest they came to it was this. And really, what do you think is safer, keeping it whole, safe and guarded behind thick walls, or let it remain in pieces, so that whoever wanted to could collect it and use it? Keep your enemies close they say, I think they acted on that. Keep it close so that others with evil intentions can't have it."

"And so I had to guard it…" Kagome whispered. She was just outright baffled at this piece of information. Why didn't she know this? Why had nobody told her?

"You ask yourself why you don't know about this," Myouga's voice interrupted her. "I think they kept it quiet so that no one would try to shatter it and get the Jewel in this way. And you must know that this happened a long, long time ago. If people still know, they'll probably treat it like a legend, or an interesting story. I hardly doubt it though."

A silence filled the room, each and everyone busy with their own thoughts, until Sesshoumaru disrupted the silence again. "Very interesting Myouga… so this means, the Jewel shattered again. Hundreds of pieces are possible you say? That might be an advantage… the way I know a certain youkai lord, he might've already discovered it and is on his way now, collecting the first ones. Let us hope it will take some time… this is rather bad news indeed…"

Kagome noticed how a frown marred his face again and already he was deep in thought. He had told her he didn't want the Jewel… it still seemed to be that way as he was more troubled about Naraku collected every single shard than anything else.

And what a surprise it was… all the time she had this weird feeling. Somehow, deep down, she already knew she hadn't destroyed the Jewel. It seemed too good to be true.

Yes, yes it was all her stupid mistake. She could see it now.

Her letting Sesshoumaru go, foolishly thinking that he was a being who shouldn't be imprisoned. Foolishly following her instincts, her feelings which went against the whole concept of taking prisoners. Foolishly thinking he had become something else… not just an enemy. From the first moment of the attack on their castle, she had been thinking about the possibility that her sister was right, that he had explored the whole castle, had seen various weak places… and still she wouldn't believe it… but she had thought of the possibility.

And then… all that leading up to the greatest mistake of all.

The Jewel.

Whatever she would've done, it would've gone wrong anyway. She was wrong from the beginning. It went way back, she reasoned. As soon as she was in that castle, alone, surrounded by youkai, there was no turning back anymore. Whether that Jewel was still whole or just shattered as the tiny flea had just explained, it was all dangerous.

_He_ would get his hands on it anyway.

Such a stupid mistake.

But no, she reasoned. She wouldn't just give up now. It had happened before, and everything had been alright in the end. Maybe this meant they had to search for these shards now… maybe not. It seemed as if Sesshoumaru was already busy planning a strategy and she was actually too shocked to really think about it. All she knew was one thing.

She would make this right.

It was her damn mistake. She lost the Shikon no Tama. She shattered it. She would make it right again.

And as she was dismissed and returned to her room, reluctantly leaving a certain taiyoukai behind in his study, she became more determinated with every single step she took. As she glanced back one more time before the heavy door to his study closed behind her, she saw how he stood by the window, that frown still on his face, his eyes darker and more troubled.

'Yes,' she decided. 'I _will_ make things right.'

* * *

Later that night

_Why?_

_Why was this happening again?_

_She didn't need this dream anymore to picture the room before her eyes. But still she noticed a difference… this time, she could see everything. No blurry images anymore, oh no. It was like she was watching it all with eyes that were definitely inhuman, otherworldly. _

_But running away was no option for her, again. And this time, she didn't stand in the corner of the room._

_This time, she stood right next to the still sleeping Lord of the West._

_A shiver slowly ran up her spine, goose bumps started showing on her arms. Her face became a deadly pale, her pulse racing and her eyes widening._

_She definitely didn't want to see this again. Never._

_There was a sudden disturbance in the air directly in front of her. The next thing she knew, the same cloaked person stood on the other side of the bed, staring down at the man laying in it. _

_His arm moved and he reached inside his cloak. He soon moved back, and something was glistering in his hand. _

_A knife. _

_Her eyes widened as suddenly, she spotted how some of his hair showed. It was long, and black. And somehow…familiar._

_He slowly raised his arm, the knife looking extremely dangerous and horrifying. Time seemed to slow down, until she heard him utter the same sentence again. _

"_And so it ends here…"_

_Then, everything happened very fast. Within mere seconds, the truth was revealed to her. _

_Just as he moved to bring down the knife, the person that had haunted her dreams for so long now, the murderer of the great Inutaisho, father of the man she loved… looked up and stared right into her eyes. _

_In a flash, she recognized him. It was the face she saw months ago, when she picked up the Shikon no Tama on that beautiful morning. The face which her sister had to face in battle, again and again. The same face that she had seen, not days ago._

_And as he struck the poor man, lying innocently in his bed, blood spattered everywhere, and this time, it was all over her._

_And all the time, he laughed._

_And all she could do was give a blood curddiling scream. _

* * *

In his room, Sesshoumaru was anything but asleep. Too many thoughts were tumbling trough his mind, but at the moment he had decided not to ponder any longer on the possibility of Naraku being out there, collecting shards. It was not as if he could do anything about it right now.

But just as soon as those thoughts went away again, others came to torment him. Dark brown eyes seemed to haunt him in the dark and he was getting rather frustrated.

Forgetting about her and to stop whatever she was doing to him had been one of the reasons why he decided to escape from that damn castle in the first place. And as soon as he was back here, he tried to forget… only to discover it was impossible.

And then he saw her again in that damn castle of hers. And from the moment she looked at him before she fainted, he somehow knew it was hopeless. It made him quite frustrated and perhaps somewhat angry with her, but this morning it was already gone.

He had only just seen her again and already he couldn't refrain from granting her wish of freedom. And when he watched her this afternoon, he had decided it was hopeless. Utterly hopeless.

Somehow, he couldn't forget about the damn girl, whatever he did.

What he was supposed to do know, he didn't know. All he knew was that he had to admit his brother was right for once. She had changed him… somehow.

The way his blood seemed to freeze within his body as he heard her scream with so much fright was proof enough…

* * *

With a loud gasp, Kagome woke up, her breathing rather loud and fast, her eyes wide, her skin still pale. She panicked from what she had just seen and jolted up…

… right into the arms of an unknown person.

Still scared from her horrible dream, her first reaction was to pull back. What if it was still that dream? What if it was _him_, wit his horrible, blood red eyes?

But a pair of arms tightened themselves around her, and she was drawn into a rather comforting embrace. Her confused mind figured it wouldn't be _him_. _He_ wouldn't embrace her like that… oh no.

But her poor mind was not allowed to rest.

As soon as she concluded it wasn't _him_, she found out it was another male… The silver hair which caught her sight was the evidence for that.

And for a moment, the optimistic side of her was celebrating its victory. Her being a prisoner was fake after all. She was allowed to leave her room, and here he was embracing her. But soon she began to doubt again. She would not allow herself to relax, instead remaining as stiff as a board.

For a few seconds, she didn't dare to move, then she pulled back again, and this time, he let her go. For a moment she looked into his eyes, and she could almost swear they looked rather gentle… a very unusual sight.

She sat back and averted her eyes, instead staring at the ground. Her eyes began to water as she saw everything again and again for her mind's eye. And she realized something.

She knew who had murdered Sesshoumaru's father.

And she had promised to tell him.

"What happened?" His low voice disturbed her thoughts.

"Why do you even care?" she asked in a timid voice.

"I'd say I have a right to know since you woke me up in the middle of the night," he threw back at her, an eyebrow raised.

"I had a dream again," she whispered. She noticed how she was fumbling with her clothing again, and she forced herself to keep still. "One I've had before…"

She snuck a glance at him and didn't fail to notice how his eyes widened slightly. He still tried to hide it, but she saw. Oh no, he wasn't stupid, was he? He knew what she was speaking of.

Her lip trembled, and he was bound to notice how her tears fell. He was staring intently at her, as if he were a predator, and she the prey. Two golden eyes staring at her from the dark.

"You saw him didn't you?" she closed her eyes as she detected something in his voice… was it… hurt? Ah yes, after all, he had lost his father. And despite what one might think, he did have emotions. "Kagome, if you know who killed my father, tell me."

She was surprised he mentioned her name, but she concentrated more on how his voice sounded. And she realized that she didn't want to know what he would do once he knew who did it. She knew he had a lot of self control, but the question was, would it snap this time? His father's murder was something rather important, could he still keep that control in this situation?

She hugged herself and without knowing it began to glow blue. She was worried sick, and she didn't know what to do. The only sound that filled the room was her quiet sobs.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she almost jumped. But she didn't struggle as he embraced her again and rested his chin on the crown of her head. She wasn't thinking anymore about what he thought of her. Or why he acted so weird. Now, she was debating whether she should tell him the name of his father's murderer or not.

"Promise me one thing," she whispered, her tears slowly drying. She wanted nothing more than to stay like that all night, it felt wonderful to be comforted by someone after one had such a horrible dream.

He stayed silent for awhile, and she already thought he didn't hear her as he suddenly replied; "What?"

Her hands tightened around the material of his clothing, as if she would hold him back with her strength, which was nothing compared to his. "Stay calm," she whispered.

"I never loose my patience," he stated.

She shook her head. "You might loose it now…," she whispered, and she felt how his arms tightened around her. "Promise you'll stay calm, please."

He sighed once. "I promise."

She took a shaky breath and tried to speak. "The…the man who killed your father is… it's…" She shut her eyes tightly, and in a bold action moved her arms and slung them around his waist. She felt him stiffen, but she was determinated to not let go.

What would he do once he heard who it was? Would he be angry at her? Would he go on a rampage? Or would he be drawn inside himself again, much like when she first met him? But there was nothing to do about it, she promised she would tell him. And she always kept her promise.

And so, she told him.

* * *

Elven castle, Southern Lands

Night had fallen up on the castle, and now parts of it were destroyed, It looked rather creepy. Windows were broken and fires had been started during the day so that some places were entirely black… totally burned.

Inside the castle, some guards were patrolling, but actually they were still celebrating the victory. And outside, there had been a rather drastic change too throughout the day.

Where once the court yard was filled with an enormous army… it was now almost empty…

The result of when the attention of two Lords was drawn elsewhere.

And inside the castle, in a tiny but cosy study – that is, as the desk was still in one piece, as the curtains were still a bright colour and not shredded and burned – a part of the wall seemed to move, and soon, a person climbed out. The figure looked around the room, walked towards the door, looked around the hall and came back again. Once safety was assured, the shadow-like person motioned to someone behind that door.

And soon, more people came out, their clothing dark so that they seemed to become one with the surrounding darkness. And they began to spread throughout the castle without uttering a single word, or making a sound. Like shadows they moved.

It appeared that Naraku had made yet another… stupid mistake.

He had discarded this castle carelessly, like something that had lost its worth. There was no longer a Jewel in it… no member of the royal family. Nothing worth his attention… and so he had cast it aside, setting out to find something that did matter.

Only… this place was still worth something… to some people.

He would notice, eventually…

* * *

Ah I just can't let it be… don't know if you ever heard of them, but Within Temptation is a Dutch gothic rock band… and as I am Dutch myself, I just have to mention them, ne? If you like such music, you should check out their albums 'Mother Earth' and 'The silent force'… but enough babbling from my side…

And I'm back again! Now before you all go reviewing (which is also important :P) I have some (good) news for you; I started writing on chapter 19, and then I suddenly had this idea… the result of that was that in about two hours I had written a one-shot which I'll be posting within a few days… so… it would be nice if you want to take a look at it… :P It's Sesshoumaru/Kagome by the way…

Second, I've had my first experience with plagiarism… someone copied not only my story, but those of three other authors too… pretty stupid actually… but they took her down so …

Anyway, I'm going now…as usual, a big thank you for all the reviews!

* * *

ChildlikeEmpress: Well, I agree that some stories with all the princess stuff in it are rather miserable I like fantasy though mmm… oh well, we're lucky there are good stories too…

TiAaRiEl: Wanna hear a secret? I can't let anyone destroy a library, not even if it's fictional… yeah, I love books alright :D Some of my friends always say I have a private library at home… (that just means I have too many books in their opinion)

Duzzie: Yes, yes, Kagome is sad… and confused and all. But she won't get a depression or something like that… nope :P

Kekoroshi: Hehe…that would be fun, if they make a show of it…

phsycoDraGon: I'm sorry, but I had to let you suffer… nothing I could do about it :P

DemonWicca: Cheetos yeah! Well then, I guess the answer was b...

Migele: oh well, Sesshoumaru didn't do it intentional. He was rather confused and frustrated…poor guy…

StarChildkellie: I'm afraid you had to wait again to find out what happens next… bleh… 15 years huh? I'm sorry but you're not going to win from me :P Oh and of course I'll post the chapter on this site… naturally …

Hazardous: Oh that's nice. I always like Sesshoumaru's character, so of course I also like it if somebody says I portray him well… thanks!

Animefreak404112: Of course Sesshoumaru had to get possessive… yepz… yeah, Kouga can be an idiot!

Ele: Ah die Bibliothek Wie ich schon jemand anderem erzählte, ich liebe Bücher... also musste die Bibliothek auch gerettet werden! Wow, du bist da mit beschäftigt die ganze Geschichte zu übersetzen! Wow... ich würde helfen, aber ich habe nicht genugend Zeit und auserdem könnte es sein das ich urgendwelchen blöden Fehler mache... immerhin ist Deutsch eine Fremdsprache, obwohl ich es meistens nicht so sehe... Ich habe eigentlich keine Probleme damit, nur meine Grammatik ist nicht unbedingt perfekt... (ich muss gestehen, im diesen Augenblick achte ich auch nicht wirklich dadrauf...es ist nicht alsob mein Lehrer mit guckt... aber, ich habe Deutsch auf meine Endliste mit eine 10 abgeschlossen! Das würde bei euch eine eins sein...) Aber um mahl zur Sache zu kommen, wenn du das alles fertig bekommst, würde es mich freuen when du mir die Ubersetzung zuschicken wurdest... wer weiss, vielleicht brauch ich es noch! Und, mag deine Schwester die Geschichte auch? Es ist schon lang, oder nicht? Ich kann einfach nicht die Klappe halten... auch jetzt nicht (manchmal braucht man wirklich mal eine Abwechslung vom all den English) Aber jetzt genugt es. Ich bin neugierig ob deine Forsetzungs-Theorien auch diesmal wieder stimmten... ich bin gespannt... Tschuß!

Vindictive Frappuccino: You know, I can't keep track of all the names you have… Just a suggestion for the next one… it starts with a g… and it's a guy :P whaha… oh well… maybe you know who I mean… And yeah, you saw the ending before… when I started writing the chapter, it was still the opening…yeah… but I said I might change it… anyway, you saw parts of this chapter already so hehe… you are privileged one could say… Have a nice day over there! (and I'm still jealous you got to go to Warped…damn… lucky you :P)

MistressofDarkness32: No, this is not the end yet…and damn, I forgot to mail you…sorry… I am such a forgetful person at times…

Aideen: A little more fluff in this chapter…and more later on…

Chelsea: Yep, a piece of the Jewel…

The Squabbit: Don't worry, I don't intend to drag the story along for so long like the anime… personally I think the anime is getting a bit too long… I know we all love it, but another few years and it's just not realistic anymore… how they still come up with new adventures is a miracle to me…

Churry: Glad you didn't give up entirely!

Kari Konoko: Nah, it's original, I know… But the other stories I have in mind are pretty original in the fandom… haven't really seen those storylines around… right now, a lot of those stories are either about high school, some rich businessman, Kagome sees Inuyasha with Kikyou and runs away, Sesshoumaru wants some kind of nanny for Rin etc… It's getting boring…

Jinenji: Oh thanks! Summerschool…sounds…not so great… meh… So you have German? Well I had it for four years at school, but I didn't go to classes, I only made the tests… the reason, I kinda teached myself when I was 6 or so… Yeah, I've always loved languages… really love them! But it's kinda funny, sometimes I just start talking in another language, when I'm lost in my thoughts… kinda freaks people out sometimes… but my friends love it :P Math… mmm I don't really mind that… Chemistry neither… only Physics a bit… but well, my teacher acts as if we are all students or something…idiot… And here's a German word for you! Tschuß!

Biggest fan: Wow, I can tell you like it! I don't even have to learn my dictionary by heart again :P hehe… but thanks!

Katherine: Oh it'll be longer… I just can't shut up at times…

Oniyurigaaru: Oh yes he better… and don't apologise… you can't beat me…

Foxdemon113: Don't worry, he'll soften up again…he's just a bit confused and frustrated and all…so yeah… oh and just ask questions… I like long reviews anyway

Yanee: No elves don't have to be boring… nope :P Glad you like it!

Snowball: Oh that's nice to know… but I still hate to make everyone wait, even though I can't really do anything about it…

Melissa: Yeah summer… but at the time you reviewed I was still busy with school…

Dark Neko17: Yeah, I like it when something isn't just sad… or just funny… always has to be a mix! And another not-so-elf-loving person who likes the story… whoho!

Himani: Don't worry, I don't intend to drag this story on like the series. I think you might not expect the ending yet :D But no, I'm not going to say anything…


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Fighting

**_Chapter Nineteen: Fighting_**

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western lands

Night had fallen, and the whole castle was dark. Everyone, youkai and their human slaves were asleep. In one room, however, a single candle was lit.

Sesshoumaru stood looking down at the dark haired woman who was now peacefully asleep. In a very unusual gesture he had made sure she was covered by blankets so she wouldn't get cold. He might've been disturbed by his actions, had his thoughts not been otherwise occupied.

If one looked closely, it appeared that the proud youkai had a guilty look in his eyes. He, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, had _never_ broken a promise before… until now.

He had promised the silly elf he would stay calm and in a way he did. Compared to the last time, as he found his father, he certainly stayed rather calm. That time, he had gone on a rampage, his usual control snapping. Now he and his father never really got along all that well, but he did respect and love him in a way. So he just… snapped.

And as soon as _she_ had told him the name of this murderer, he had felt it. That well known shift in one's youki… he was about to transform into a very murderous and angered youkai.

And he was still holding _her_.

He didn't know what it was, but the only thing that ended up _completely_ destroyed was the table right next to him. Pieces of it had flown everywhere as he smashed it with his claws.

Now to him, this was relatively calm. This was in no way what he was capable of if he truly was enraged. But to _her_, it had seemed rather frightening.

He knew his eyes must've been a blood red colour, his claws and fangs lengthened. As soon as he came to himself, he was not surprised to find her curled into a tight ball against the head end of the bed, her arms covering her head against the pieces of table that had been falling down on her.

So that is how he had to pull himself together and then comfort a terrified young woman. Now his brother would've probably been amused at his behaviour, but to someone who wasn't used to it, it was probably rather horrifying.

And finally, she had fallen asleep and left him to his thoughts. That was a few hours ago, and since then he had been standing at the window, staring out side, every now and then looking back at the young elf.

He should've known it.

That was the one thing that kept going trough his head. Wasn't it obvious? The only reason he and his subjects thought it was the fault of those stupid elves was because they didn't realize that _he_ was capable of such magic.

Now he really had something else to worry about.

If the bastard had been standing before him right now, he would've ripped his eyes out along with his heart. Rather murderous thoughts, but there was no doubt in his mind that he would do it. Even as he stood thinking, his eyes were bleeding red.

As he stood gazing at the moon, he sensed how Kagome began to stir. He didn't mind for her waking up, because he had come to a decision. He was proud and arrogant and wouldn't admit a mistake too easily, but he wasn't stupid either. Not only had he made a mistake, but his people too had made a grave mistake and he felt the need to apologize for it.

She was up now and staring at him, he could just feel her eyes pricking in his back. But she said nothing. Was she still afraid of him? Whatever it was, he grew impatient.

"I know you are awake Kagome," he grinned as he could almost imagine her surprised expression.

Still no answer.

"You know, in a way, you have made things easier and more difficult at the same time with your little announcement." He turned to look at her and indeed, her eyes had widened somewhat. But soon she was looking at her feet again. The uncertainty of her situation and his behaviour still made her somewhat wary around him. Not the usual cheery person he knew. But then, she surprised him again.

"What did I make easier then," she whispered, disbelief in her voice.

He didn't know if she saw his smirk but he liked her old talkative and cheery self better than the scared one. But of course his _highness_ wouldn't admit that too easily.

"I can hear you doubt me. But indeed, you made one thing easier. Tell me, what do _you_ think, what would be my opinion of Naraku?"

She didn't seem to like the fact how he challenged her to speak again, but she answered anyway. "I… I always had the impression you don't really like him…," she offered.

"Go on woman and just say it," he snorted. "I always distrusted him and I absolutely couldn't stand him and that's the truth. Don't be hesitant to say it." He continued in a softer tone. "I always intended to ignore his pitiful self one day, but I could never really decide on when to do it. I was still out on revenge for my father's death and I still believed it was one of you who did it."

She did look at him then, with a rather hopeful expression. "Then do you believe me? You just believe what I saw? No one accepts what I see that easily, they always doubt it somehow."

"If I didn't believe you that table would still be standing and you would long be gone for spreading such lies," he growled. "So now that we know that this same, pitiful creature who calls himself Naraku was the one who killed my father, I find it rather easy to break with this so called 'ally'. But I won't just ignore him, be sure of that."

"Are you going after him?"

"What a clever conclusion," he snorted. "Now if that Jewel didn't exist, I would take my time by hunting him down. But the damn thing does exist so we don't have all the time of the world. And here I believe that you come in."

The way her eyes began to shine with hope and joy, how she clasped her hands together and really looked at him for once… well… it did do something to him. "Are you… are you going to make peace? You are not going to fight us again?" she stammered.

"I wish to apologize to you and your people," he stated. "You were accused of something which you had absolutely no part in."

At the prospect of peace, Kagome's usual talkative self seemed to appear again. She was practically bouncing with glee now. "Apology accepted," she managed to say before rambling on. "So this means no fighting anymore? No deaths? Can all three races finally live in peace together?"

He sighed at her over enthusiastic behaviour. "I think it will take some time before all wounds are healed Kagome. And there will still be some deaths. Remember, the Shikon no Tama was shattered and is still out there. This is not over yet."

That joyful look disappeared then as her face fell. "I know, I am always way too optimistic," she admitted.

"But…," he said in a secretive tone. "I intend to send a message to your mother. I do believe we are after the same person and I think it would be foolish to work against each other." He nodded at her as again, hope began to appear in her eyes. "If your queen decides to agree to it, I intend to go after Naraku together. I promised my father I would keep the Shikon no Tama out of his greedy hands and I do believe this would be the best way."

A small squeak left her throat and he had barely enough time to steady himself before she lounged himself at him. "We are going to work together!" For a moment she practically seemed to shine with happiness. "And we are going to defeat Naraku and then it'll be peace!"

"I do think you should calm down somewhat," he murmured. "Not only are there still people sleeping and will it be a long time before there will actually be peace _but_ you are also doing a good job at suffocating me. And if you do that, there won't be peace for another hundred years."

He noticed with some amusement how her whole body went stiff as she realized that she was embracing him. Her fear of him had been forgotten for the moment, but reality set back in, and with it her fear.

She began to back away, no doubt with the intention of getting to the opposite of the room, but the hand he laid on her arm prevented her from that. He had to frown, however, as she hissed in pain. He wasn't holding her that firmly was he? And then it dawned on him.

Slowly, he began to pull the rich material of her dress up her arm to see what was causing her pain. She however, seemed to disagree with his action, and she tried to pry his hands of her, face flushed. "It is nothing, really," she stated.

"I will decide if it is nothing," he snapped, effectively silencing her. Finally her whole arm was left bear for everyone to see and it was not a pretty sight.

Like he suspected, some very ugly bruises were marring her otherwise perfect skin. Bruises, caused by none other than _him_. A quick investigation showed that the other arm didn't look much better.

Now he knew he had been irritated and angry the day he got her out of that hellhole and away from Naraku, but he hadn't realized really how much worse it really was. A frown appeared on his face and as soon as his grip lessened somewhat, Kagome was quick to cover her arms again and look away in embarrassment.

"Don't ever call such a thing _'nothing_' again," he ordered.

"Oh but it _is _n- …," she flinched under his angry look. "It's not so important really. I understand if you were angry at me or just at the world in general or… it doesn't matter, everyone gets angry in his life so-…"

"And don't call it '_not important_' either," he interrupted her. "Angry one can be, yes, but there is no excuse for this. I will lower myself to another apology tonight because it was really not my intention to hurt you, nor was I angry at you."

"Apology accepted," she muttered half heartily.

He suddenly spotted a few tiny pieces of wood in her hair, pieces that once formed a table. He didn't know why, but he reached out to remove them. To his surprise, the young elf flinched and moved away from his hand, as if on instinct.

"You have no reason to be afraid of me," he noticed how she intended to speak again. "And there will be no denying it, you haven't been your usual self ever since you came here. No doubt I scared you with my violence, but if you still doubt me, I let me make it clear to you once and for all that you will never see the dungeons of this castle, as long as I can prevent it."

"I… I just miss my home and…," she sniffled. "…and I didn't know what you wanted to do with me or… you are just…so…"

"Well… what? I am what? Just say it Kagome," he prodded somewhat.

"You are confusing as hell," she blurted out, then clasped her hands before her mouth and frantically shook her head. "I never said anything, I wasn't trying to insult you, honestly! I-…"

"Ah…," he sighed, nodding. "I heard that one before. From my _dear_ brother no less…and my parents. I guess I am."

"You just don't say anything or show what you feel!" she said vehemently. He knew she was clumsy and again, she was only blundering more. Again, she seemed terrified at what she had said.

"I guess that's true as well," he admitted, feeling rather generous today.

"You shouldn't just guess, you should do something about it!" Again, the shocked expression at what she said, but she didn't seem to be able to stop. "You should trust people for once, let someone in! Like… I trust my mother, and my sister, and my friends and… and hell I even trust you!"

His eyes narrowed at her. He wouldn't admit it, but she had come too close. "As the elder of us two, I'd say you should think about what you let out of that mouth of yours," he snarled.

But now, it seemed like she was angry too. "You… elder?" she huffed. "Only by a few years, which might matter if it concerned humans, but to us it's hardly anything."

"In this case, it's _everything_."

And with that, he rudely walked away, just like that. He knew that right behind him, Kagome was ready to explode. Her emotions really ran away with her sometimes. And in the heat of something which one could call a fight, she would soon forget her fear and just go for it.

But still, he didn't want her to fear him. It _hurt_ somehow. But that didn't mean she could just say anything to him. He wouldn't allow it. Somewhere, a tiny voice objected to this reasoning; it was him after all who had almost ordered her to speak what was on her mind. And that same tiny voice accused him of running away from the truth.

But he ignored it, as usual.

He paused as he reached the door but he didn't look back. "And Kagome," he said in a low voice. "I would think twice about trusting me… after all, I'm just as much a murderer as Naraku is."

Having said that, he opened the door and walked out without another word.

* * *

Elven castle, Southern lands

He was _absolutely_ livid.

Kouga was pacing around near the huge gates of the castle, his eyes beginning to bleed red. It was still dark around him, but that didn't mean everything was quiet. All of the youkai, in fact, were involved in a fierce battle with none other than those damn _elves_.

'_The little snakes,'_ he thought to himself. _'Surprising us in the middle of the night.'_ As soon as the first elven soldiers were discovered, his thoughts turned to those of the young elf Naraku had captured. As she entered that study and stumbled upon him, he could swear she was looking for something there. Those damn elves were bound to have some secret way in and out the castle and he was pretty sure that passage way would be found in a _certain_ study.

And that damn Sesshoumaru, what was he thinking, pulling his army back and leaving him to deal with Naraku? But still, the only thing he would absolutely _love _to do is to split in two the head of Naraku. Not long after Sesshoumaru departed, Naraku left as well. The Great Lord of the Western Lands had left leaving no explanation for his departure, nor why he had such a triumphant gleam in his eyes, and now Naraku was gone too.

_And_ leaving him to fight off those elves.

It made him wonder if Naraku had expected this attack. With a frustrated growl, he noticed that his own army was losing. Their combined armies had been huge, but now it seemed he was outnumbered. A surprise attack and the fact that some of his men were drunk from their little parties seemed to ruin their chances of victory.

"Ginta," he roared. He could see somewhere in the fighting mass, a small figure began to fight his way back towards him. It took awhile but then one of his best friends – and generals too – stood before him, panting and bleeding from a wound on his arm.

"Yes, Kouga?" he managed to say between breaths.

"We pull back now-," he growled. "I refuse to let them slaughter us just because our _allies_ abandoned us."

Ginta nodded his head with so much force one would be scared it would fall off. "A very wise decision," he stammered. "We're loosing Kouga, many men are already killed. Even you are wounded, this is not looking good."

"I _know_," he snapped. He would refuse to show anyone how bad the wounds on his legs really were, but they damn well hurt and forced him to stay at the back of the fight for awhile now.

He threw his head back and let out a powerful howl. After all, they were wolf youkai and every single one of his men knew this call meant they had to retreat.

And that is how they rushed out through the gates one by one, getting as many wounded men with them as they could. The dead they had to leave behind, much to their dismay. As they sped away, the cries of victory from their opponents followed them for a long, long time.

Hours later

It was still dawn, the first rays of the sun began to show as the sky turned red. A very macabre coincidence, since the once so peaceful and clean courtyard was now covered in the dark red colour of blood too from the previous battle.

Kikyou walked around in distaste, her stomach protesting against what she saw. Never had her people needed to fight within their own castle. The closest war came upon them right outside their gates. At such times, the respective parties would've the chance to remove their dead themselves.

This time however, the wolf clan had pulled back and left their dead. Now she didn't know what youkai were used to do in such a case, but she ordered her people to treat every dead person with respect and give them a proper burial. It was not as if they would've done otherwise anyway.

She met up with her mother who was carrying a frightened kitsune pup. She had sent a messenger trough the same secret passage way trough which they had surprised their enemies after they won the battle. Shortly after that, the gates were securely shut, locked up in every way possible and the first women and children had entered their castle again.

She knew what those hopeful looks meant that were directed towards her, but she shook her head in defeat. "I'm very sorry mother," she whispered. "I have sent soldiers to search the whole castle, but she's not here."

"NO!" the kitsune pup began to sniffle. "She probably hid herself, I'm sure!"

"Although it hurts, I can assure you that we know even the smallest corners inside this castle and all has been searched. She's definitely not here."

She put a comforting hand on her mother's shoulder as she saw how the woman was fighting against the tears. "We'll get her back," she whispered, before walking past them and entering the castle.

"You," she halted a terrified looking young boy who was staring with wide eyes at a pair of doors which were almost completely destroyed. "Go to Kaede and order her to make a list of everything destroyed. She may call upon the help from as many women as she wants. My soldiers are to be left alone, they are tired enough."

The boy nodded before running away. She turned to great the monk and the taijiya, their eyes just as sad as hers. After all, they were Kagome's best friends. "I am going to inspect the castle," she announced. "I thought you might want to come with me."

They made their way trough the whole castle, walking in a brisk pace and assessing the damage. The monk appeared to be in deep thoughts and the taijiya was unusual silent. Although she knew everything had been searched, she still moved up towards her sister's room to check if she would be hiding up the tower. A quick glance into the room, however, proved that the invaders had found their way into this place too. If possible, her room looked even worse than others.

They moved downstairs again, until Kikyou halted in her steps and stared at the only pairs of doors that hadn't been destroyed. With a frown upon her face she moved towards them, clutching her bow tighter in her hands, the other two trailing behind her.

"Odd," she muttered once she had opened the doors.

They were standing in the library and what surprised them the most was that it was completely unharmed. Rows upon rows of books stood there as if nothing had ever happened.

"Somehow, I doubt there were any book loving youkai in that army," Sango muttered from behind her.

She carefully put her bow down upon one of the tables and walked around the room, her eyes trailing over the books. She really didn't understand this. There was no sense to it. Why would they destroy their whole castle and leave one, damn library unscathed?

"I have a feeling we have to thank Kagome for this," she heard her mother's voice from the door.

She quickly turned and stared sceptically at her. "What? Do you think she spent precious time defending a library where she could've fled?"

"Don't you remember Kikyou, how much time she would spend here the past few months with another person?"

She frowned then. Not this ridiculous theory again. "Mother, I really think you should lie down. You're looking tired."

"Yes…," the woman sighed. "I'm feeling quite drained actually…" And she walked off. She really did look like a ghost. She wouldn't have been surprised if her mother had fainted, so she sent a soldier to go and see if she got to her room without too much trouble.

Then she sat down on a chair with a sigh. "So," she began. "I suggest we start searching for Kagome _outside_ this castle. She was not with the wolves, so either Sesshoumaru or Naraku has her I suppose."

"Very true," the monk commented. "And let us hope it is not the latter."

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western lands

Inside his study, a certain youkai lord was seething with anger because his pride was hurt and outside, a certain elf was sitting once again in her now beloved garden, trying to calm down.

It was day now, but Kagome hadn't slept a single minute or even second after her fight with Sesshoumaru. And a fight it was. She had forgotten all her fear and just screamed at him and frankly, she was surprised he hadn't at least slapped her or something. He certainly seemed to be angry at her after what she said. But she wouldn't back down, because it was true.

But somehow, his last words had hurt her the most. It made her worry for him. Did he really see himself as a murderer? He must've killed a lot of men already during this damn war and she was sure it hadn't stayed by that. But somehow, even though she knew this, she still couldn't hate him. If she compared him to Naraku, he would still be something akin to a saint.

His words hurt her too because it was evident that he wouldn't let her trust him. Nor would he trust her. She would never dare to tell him what she really felt about him because it seemed impossible to her that he would _ever_ feel the same, but if he would just trust her and stop acting so confusing, that would already be a miracle… and she would be happy, really.

Yesterday, she had been crying almost on this same spot and today it looked as if she was bearing to worries of all the people in the world on her shoulders. And like a little angel, that small girl appeared again.

She hadn't heard her approaching, so Kagome startled somewhat as she raised her head and saw the girl smiling brightly at her, her hair to the side in a little tail, another brightly coloured flower in her hand.

Dumbfounded, she reached out and accepted the girl's gift. The child's eyes seemed to shine with happiness and pride that she would accept her flower and so she could not help but smile at her. But not without a small pang of regret in her heart as she thought of a certain kitsune who was bound to hide somewhere in the mountains now and would probably be worried he would loose another mother.

To her alarm the child turned and walked away again while humming a song. "Wait," she called out. "What is your name?"

The girl turned and gave her another one of her bright smiles. "Rin."

"My name is Kagome," she offered. The girl nodded, bowed to her and was off again.

What an odd girl. But how cute…

* * *

Somewhere in the woods, Southern lands

"Take _this_!"

Kagura moved her fan and sent her opponent flying trough the air until his back connected with a few trees. But again, the idiotic creature moved to attack.

She gave a wary sigh while she inspected her nails, throwing another attack his way. She was _sooo_ in a bad mood. A _very_ bad one. And if she had been anymore friendly and her opponent anymore humanoid, she might've warned him to not tempt her any longer and just give up already.

But as it was, her opponent wasn't anything like a normal individual and actually, she really didn't know what it was supposed to be other than that it was indeed a youkai.

And that it had a _certain_ shard.

The first dead soldiers weren't cold in the grave yet and her master had already set out upon another quest. But he wouldn't concern himself with it _personally_ yet. He had given her orders to set out with part of the army and go on a search for those shards. He, however, had locked himself up in his library and from the noise that came from within; she guessed the books were _not_ happy… if they could feel anything.

She was pretty sure he was searching for information on the Shikon no Tama again. How he could find anything more on the damn thing was beyond her, but apparently he thought there would still be another piece of paper or another book written about it. If she hadn't hated him with a passion or feared his wrath, she would've pointed out that he had spent years reading on the subject, so there was hardly anything left he could find, especially in his own damn library.

But alas, reason is lost upon fools… or obsessed people. So why would she bother to tell him anyway? The ass. She had other things to do than go around and kill another _something_; she was quite sick of all the killing she had to do in the past days already. But it was not as if he would give her some rest. She would _always_ be his assassin, as he liked to call it. If you asked her, one could describe her as 'his toy', because that was all he did, toy with her. Like a little boy actually.

But who was she to talk about? Truth to be told, she did nothing but toy with that damn youkai too. And actually, she was growing tired of it. The damn soldiers who were sent along with her were taking their time and watching the display. Goddammit, did she have to kill them all on their own or what? Oh they wouldn't be happy for long because they could expect a long reprimand from her and if she was in a mood like this, she wouldn't go easy on them.

"Fujin no mai!" she cried, sending a huge wave of blades flying at the youkai. It was dead within minutes. A shame it had to be some creature without any real brains, she would be much happier with a challenge for once.

"Get me the damn shard!" she snarled at a close by soldier. As he only looked stupid at her with an expression that clearly stated 'just get it yourself' she felt very inclined to strangle someone. "I said get the damn shard!" she bellowed. "So get your lazy ass working you idiot or by god I will make sure you receive the same treatment!"

_That_ seemed to help considerably.

And just as she was making her grand retreat by walking elegantly away while sending the others death glares, _he_ had to torture and embarrass her again.

Soldiers laughed behind their hands as she reached to her chest and collapsed with a painful expression on her otherwise beautiful face. Oh why did he have to do this _now_, of all the damn times! A searing hot pain shot trough her body and now she had the distinct urge to blow up a tree or something. The only way she always got through this torment was imagining how she would someday scratch his eyes out and kill him.

Finally the pain disappeared and she straightened herself, looking around at the amused faces. With an outraged cry she moved her fan and called the winds towards her, blowing the damn bastards of their feet. Then she turned and walked away, fuming.

But although the pain was gone, it didn't mean he would leave her alone. He had summoned her, no doubt to do his dirty work again.

Damn, was she _mad_.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western lands

As the door to his study flew open with a loud bang, Sesshoumaru was not happy. Neither was he too joyful about the little toad like creature that came flying in. Nor about the next individual that dared disturbing his peace.

Inuyasha.

In short; his mood had just turned worse than ever. The air just froze. But as usual his brother seemed to be blatantly ignorant to that.

"Don't you just sometimes have this sudden urge to kick his butt?" his brother inquired while he plopped down on a chair, without _invitation_ Sesshoumaru added in his mind. "Well I damn well did today. Couldn't you send another messenger?" Inuyasha proceeded to further dig his grave as he put his feet on his brother's desk and made himself comfortable. "But he did make me hurry actually," he mused. "Damn toad kept telling me how _your highness_ was in a horrible mood and so on. I always wonder how you can stand him. Mmm, fits your ego I guess."

At the dry cough that interrupted him, he finally decided to look up. A very wise decision, although it might be a bit too late. "Damn," he swore. "You _are_ in a bad mood. Who the hell achieved this!"

It was true; it had been awhile since he had last seen his brother in such a state. His pupils had turned into mere slits and his gaze was so murderous that Inuyasha had the urge to flee.

"Eh, sorry?" he offered weakly.

"Jaken," his brother snarled. "Get out."

The toad wasted no time in hurrying out of the room, running for his life, all his devotion to his master forgotten. Inuyasha watched how his brother carefully put down some papers, before sitting back in chair, eying him.

"Oh come on Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha tried. "I did come quickly, you have to admit that. I've never been in such a hurry before."

"That might be," his brother replied in a calm voice that stood in a stark contrast with the anger in his eyes. "But once again you come barging in and disgrace this place with your presence while it is _uncalled_ for."

"Damn it!" now Inuyasha began to heat up too. "I thought I would get in serious trouble if I wouldn't report to you _immediately_ and now this! What happened?"

"Nothing but bad news," his brother's gaze hardened. "As you left the castle, was Naraku still present?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied, wondering what this meant. "Why do you ask?"

"Tell me, little brother, what do you think happened with the Shikon no Tama?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Blasted from here to eternity. Completely destroyed I expect, with that light."

"Once again, you disappoint me with your so called intelligence. The Jewel was shattered."

Inuyasha still didn't seem to get the point, according to his blank look which clearly asked what could possibly be wrong with that. His brother allowed a small sigh to escape from his lips and stood, walking over to the window. Inuyasha almost jumped as his brother suddenly turned those scary eyes at him.

"It means that there are an unknown number of shards out there and I bet you anything that Naraku is out there, collecting them as we speak."

"So…," Inuyasha started. "Are you planning on joining him?" To be honest, he thought his brother would join Naraku again so he could watch him from close up, like he had done all those years. But apparently he asked the wrong question.

He had to jump and duck away as from his brother's hand appeared a deadly whip and it was aimed directly at him. "You insolent whelp," his brother growled. "You disgrace our family with your stupidity!"

Inuyasha crouched on the floor and faced his brother. Unknown to them, servants outside had stopped for a moment at the noise, then shook their heads and continued. They were quite used to fights like this.

"Well if I'm such an idiot than just tell me!" Inuyasha hissed, his eyes tinning red.

"I highly doubt you are capable of comprehending the whole situation. Remove your pitiful being from this room, _immediately_. I will tell you about my plans when _I_ deem it right."

Inuyasha let out a low growl but managed to compose himself. He straightened and marched from the room, closing the door with such a loud bang that everyone close by jumped in fright, before going on with their activities.

Their masters really had a short temper.

* * *

Elven castle, Southern lands

As Kikyou finally made sure that everyone was settled down, all the bodies carried from the courtyard and everything cleaned up as best as they could do for now, she finally allowed herself to return to her room.

Of course she expected a disaster once she opened the door, but she found that all in all, it wasn't that bad. Most of her furniture was still whole, as were a few portraits that hung on the wall. The curtains were torn though, like everywhere else and the room was thoroughly searched, clothing and other personal items were strewn everywhere.

She quickly made an inventory of the room and found to her horror that there was only one thing missing. She always doubted if she should keep that very same item, but she always figured that if an army would take their castle, they would hardly care for such a thing. But apparently, they did because the cushions on her bed were moved aside and one spot now looked rather empty. She should've hidden it better anyway…

She really questioned who would care enough to take _her_ diary.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western lands

Kagome was making her way back from the garden, thankful that she hadn't seen Sesshoumaru the whole day. She imagined he was still rather angry and she'd rather have him calm down before she faced him again.

So it was understandable how her heartbeat began to quicken as she saw a person with silver hair coming her way, and quickly too. She frantically looked around to see if she could hide herself somewhere but of course it would be her luck to be trapped inside a hallway with almost no furniture whatsoever.

As he came closer, however, she frowned. She had never seen Sesshoumaru in red clothing, only in either white or black. Apparently the youkai wasn't one for bright colours. Still, she was absolutely sure she didn't want to face him yet so she quickly turned and looked out of a window.

She had almost taken a deep breath and praised her luck as he passed without acknowledging her, but then suddenly an arm came from out of nowhere and she was turned around.

Her heartbeat quickened again, but then she relaxed. This was not Sesshoumaru. Everything looked the same, but this guy didn't have his markings and his eyes were amber, not golden. Also his face had more rugged looks and she got the impression that he was younger.

He was looking at her with wide eyes, almost as if he had seen a ghost. "K-… Kikyou?" he finally stuttered.

Now it was her turn to give him a blank look. Kikyou? Did he know her sister? "Who are you?" she demanded.

He growled then. "Inuyasha, who else?"

So this was Sesshoumaru's younger brother. She found herself to be rather excited at the prospect of meeting someone in his family. But first she had to make something clear. "I am not Kikyou," she admitted. "I'm Kagome, her younger sister."

His eyes widened again. "You damn well look like each other," he blurted out.

"I know," she smiled brightly. "So, how do you know my sister?"

"What do you think wench?" he huffed. "Your damn sister is one of our worst enemies so I'd say I should know her."

Now he had done it. She could feel herself getting angry and unlike with his brother she wasn't too scared to say what was on her mind. Compared to Sesshoumaru he looked like a little puppy. "Excuse me!" she cried. "It's Kagome, you ass. You had better pay some respect to my sister!"

"God," he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air a hopeless gesture. "Go and drown yourself for all I care. What is it with you people? First I almost get my head cut off because my dear brother decides to act as if everything and everyone insults him and then I get yelled at by some stupid elf. Well I've had it!"

And before she could tell him off or require after what happened between the two brothers – she was rather shocked at the violence they used towards each other – he was gone, like a whirlwind.

'_Well,'_ she thought. _'So far about learning anything about his family… other than that they all have a short temper and act like complete jerks.'_

She continued on her way, a little bit worried about encountering an angry Sesshoumaru. From what she had heard of his brother, it would be better to avoid him since she really had no death wish…

* * *

Boundary between Southern and Eastern lands

Night was slowly falling upon them and so Kouga ordered his men to stop and rest. They had managed to cover quite a distance during the day so he thought it would be safe. He didn't expect the elves to go after them anyway… it was not their style and they definitely had other things to worry about.

Despite the fact that they were almost within their own boundaries again, he still wasn't satisfied with how fast they moved. They had so many wounded soldiers, including himself, that some had to be carried. Others were limping. He himself had refused to be carried, although his best friends Ginta and Hakkaku had insisted upon it.

By now, he almost cursed his pride. His legs hurt like hell and several of his men noticed how he gave them a miserable look. He had always been known for his speed so right now he felt like a cripple.

"Kouga!"

His friend Ginta was the one to free him from his dark thoughts. He had sent him away with a few men to search the vicinity. He wanted to make sure they could rest here in peace. He really hoped that Ginta had found nothing; if they were attacked now it would be a disaster.

Ginta had found something, that much was clear, but it didn't seem to be something bad. As he came closer – they refused to let him move - he noticed how his eyes looked excited and how he was holding something in his hands.

Finally Ginta had worked his way through the groups of wolf youkai who were gathered around little fires. He fell to his knees and showed Kouga the contents of his hands.

Kouga's hands trembled a bit at first, but soon he had steadied them enough to take a better look at the two tiny pink objects. They looked like little bits of the Shikon Jewel. He didn't question how this was possible. He figured he would discover what happened eventually.

All that mattered now was that somehow, his men had managed to find a piece of the Shikon no Tama. He figured this must've been the reason for the look in Naraku's eyes. His mind was too tired to think about all that now. All he knew was that with the powers this Jewel possessed, even two tiny pieces could help. And he already had an idea to test this theory.

He lowered his gaze and he saw how his friend followed it. He seemed to understand what Kouga was about to do and he frowned. "Kouga, you'd better wait a bit. We don't know…"

"I'm tired of waiting," Kouga announced. And before Ginta could stop him, he had moved towards his legs. A little experiment wouldn't hurt, or so he thought.

What he didn't know however was how someone was watching him, miles away, towards the North. And that person didn't look too happy…

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western lands

It was getting dark outside and Kagome was sitting in her room… something which she had done all day, except when she paid the garden a little visit and had ran into Inuyasha. Other than that, she had made sure she would see no one. Dinner was brought to her room, like always since she stayed here.

It appeared that the wing in which she stayed was pretty quiet. She had no idea who occupied the rooms surrounding hers, but servants hardly came here. And so it happened that the sound of voices made her curious enough to stand up and make her way to the door to see who it was.

She opened the door on a small crack and her first instinct was to draw back again, because all she saw was Sesshoumaru. But he couldn't be talking to himself now, could he?

And that is when her heart almost stopped.

She watched in astonishment how the same little girl that had cheered her up _twice_ already was clutching Sesshoumaru's leg and looking up at him with such a loving gaze that she just had to be dreaming.

This couldn't be true.

By now, she didn't want to hide in her room anymore. She seriously considered showing herself and save the girl because really… since when was Sesshoumaru kind to children? Especially _humans!_?

But then he surprised her even more. Her jaw dropped as he patted the child on her head, a rather gentle look in his eyes.

"Good night Sesshoumaru-sama!" the child squealed.

And to her astonishment, he nodded at the girl. The girl disappeared behind the door and she quickly shut the door before he would see her. She slowly slid down and sat on the ground, staring at the wall opposite from her.

She had to be dreaming…

_Honestly_.

* * *

Elven castle, Southern lands

Sango slowly made her way up the stairs, but for the first time, she was not cursing them. Her thoughts were on other things really. Like how Miroku suddenly seemed to be forgetting about groping women, instead showing a rather serious side of him. And how, despite the fact that he tried to cheer her up and assure her they would find Kagome, they still hadn't done just that. And how a little kitsune had been crying his eyes out all day because he was convinced that he had lost another mother, again.

Shippo had gone missing an hour ago and currently half the castle was looking for him, afraid he would set out on his own and try to save his mother. But Sango had an idea about where she could find him…

And her suspicions were confirmed as she opened the door to Kagome's room. The child was sitting on her bed with such a hopeless look, clutching a destroyed pillow to his chest - no doubt still smelling her on it - that it just broke her heart.

She spent the night comforting the child and assuring him all would be alright. Unfortunately, since no one knew they were up in that tower, they never knew there was news on Kagome until the next morning.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's castle, Western lands

It was very dark outside now, but it was still light enough to notice the dark clouds drifting across the sky. Kagome knew and sensed that bad weather was on its way, but she didn't care. She just had to get outside for a moment and that is how one could find her wandering trough the halls on her way to the garden.

She really was getting addicted to it now.

The only people she encountered were a few servants, finishing their last chores. She no longer shrank into the shadows and waited for them to pass. She had to get outside to think and fast.

As soon as she stepped outside and found her favourite bench, she noticed how deadly quiet it was around her. _'Quiet before the storm,'_ she mused. Almost nothing moved, no birds were heard nor seen. She was convinced that it would take only little time before a harsh wind began to blow and rain to fall. But until then, she would stay here.

Rin. The wealthy look and the rich clothes… it was all explained now. She couldn't be a slave then. Could it really be that Sesshoumaru had taken in a child, just as she had with Shippo? A child from a different race?

She smiled softly. She couldn't say she disliked this change in his behaviour. He could deny it all he wanted now, walk out on her and confuse her to no end, but now she knew she had changed him at least a bit. She didn't think he would've done this last year.

Definitely not.

In a way, her day spent in hiding had been productive too. She had decided she wouldn't be scared anymore. She hadn't been scared of him while he was their prisoner and she wouldn't be now. Instead, she had decided to at least get him to trust her and talk about his worries for once. She would let him see the truth.

Suddenly, a bright flash illuminated the little garden and soon afterwards the sky seemed to groan and growl like a dog. A thunderstorm. Her eyes saddened. She knew Shippou didn't like them… she just hoped the weather was somewhat better at whatever place he was hiding.

Deciding she better get going, she slowly stood and turned. It was very dark now and she couldn't see much, so she let out a little scream as another flash lightened the sky and showed that a woman was standing directly in front of her, her dark red eyes seeming to look right trough her.

A second later, everything was dark again. She was breathing hard now. Who was this woman? All she saw were those dark red eyes, the rest of her face hidden behind a fan.

Sudden an amused chuckle clang from behind her and Kagome turned quickly. A fan appeared out of nowhere and lifted her chin up to meet those eyes again, glinting in the dark.

"Well, well," the woman murmured. "This is a surprise really. I didn't expect to find you out in the open, still alive… girl."

"Who… who are you?" Kagome croaked, her throat suddenly dry.

Another flash showed the woman had a mischievous grin on her face. "I knew I was right after all… there is something going on here," she purred, completely ignoring her previous question. "Why else would you still be alive? Everyone already thinks you to be dead now…"

The fan moved to her cheek and her head was turned into different directions, the woman studying her intently. "Not too ugly," she murmured. "But I still don't know what he sees in you…"

Kagome was really confused now. She didn't understand what the woman was talking about, or who she was. All she knew was that this woman was a youkai and that she didn't trust her.

"But," the woman concluded. "You must mean at least _something_ to Sesshoumaru… or else you wouldn't be alive right now…"

"You know him?" Kagome rushed, finally understanding at least a bit of what the woman was saying. Apparently, she thought she and Sesshoumaru were close or something.

"Know him girl?" the woman laughed. "Better than I'd wished to do… I assure you there is only one person on this earth who utters more death threats towards me than he does."

"He considers you an enemy then?" Kagome asked, her heart beating like mad.

"I have no idea," the woman grinned. "Honestly. He might have the looks, but not the personality. He's a block of ice and hardly says anything, so how am I supposed to know what he thinks?"

"He's not like that!" Kagome said before she could think.

"Mmm is he? I suppose he's not around you," Another bright flash and Kagome gulped as she noticed how close the woman was now. That same fan tapped against her chin lightly. "So tell me; what is the real Sesshoumaru like?" she asked with sarcasm in her voice.

But before Kagome could say anything, the woman was suddenly gone and she was staring at something white… or something which would be white during the day but was now a dull grey.

Sesshoumaru's back.

And indeed, the Western Lord stood before her now, blocking her view of the woman. But she wanted to know what happened to her and so she peeked from behind his back.

The woman was just in the process of picking herself up from the ground. She looked pissed now as she pointed her fan at Sesshoumaru. "Damn you!" she snarled. "Because you don't like a decent conversation doesn't mean no one else does either!"

"Intimidating and scaring innocent people is hardly what I would call 'a decent conversation'," Sesshoumaru replied with venom in his voice.

'_They're definitely not the closest of friends,'_ Kagome concluded. She was curious as to why Sesshoumaru had suddenly turned up and who this woman was, but she had the feeling she wouldn't get an answer soon.

"Intimidating? What are you accusing me of?" the woman said in a mock voice.

"I could accuse you of anything," Sesshoumaru growled. "Now what do you want, Kagura?"

Another flash and thunder appeared again and this time it was as if the sky had just been split in two. The storm certainly seemed to get worse. Both youkai were facing each other now and Kagome couldn't see Sesshoumaru's face, but the woman's looked absolutely furious, her fangs clearly visible during the small span in which the sky was illuminated.

"I have a message for you," she spat at him. "And you'd better damn well listen to it because I don't like my time wasted."

Kagome blinked again as suddenly Sesshoumaru disappeared, only to reappear again a few feet away from her, holding the woman against the castle wall, slowly choking her.

"Sesshoumaru!" she exclaimed, shocked. The woman hadn't done anything to them yet, so what was he doing? But her voice was lost in the wind and even if they heard her, they still didn't pay attention to her.

"Well then I suppose you are wasting your time here because I am _not_ going to listen to anything Naraku has to say," Sesshoumaru replied.

An incoherent gurgle was all the answer he got to that. But he didn't seem to mind. "And now Kagura, since you are so scared of wasting your time, you are going to tell me something. I remember you standing in this very same garden, telling me Naraku was after the Shikon no Tama and _not_ only for its power… so if you want to live, I'd suggest you start telling me what you meant with that."

He lessened his grip on her a bit to let her talk, and talk she did. "Bastard," she spit at him. "You didn't have to fucking choke me to get that piece of information! And now let go!" she said, bringing her fan up in defence.

He backed away a bit, but he still eyed her with distrust. "Naraku," she continued. "Has deceived you all. He is far weaker than you might think, because he is not of pure blood." As Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and Kagome only looked questioningly, she added. "He's a hanyou."

"Impossible," Kagome whispered.

Once again, Kagura found herself against the wall. "It can't be," Sesshoumaru's eyes seemed to be aflame. "I would've noticed."

"Oh he has his ways of covering it up," Kagura said bitterly. "You'd only noticed if you paid close attention to it."

"Damn," Sesshoumaru swore suddenly. "A few days ago… I felt it… but I didn't realize what it was…"

"Ah," Kagura grinned, looking at Kagome. "When you were defending your-…"

The rest of her words came out in a hiss as he added pressure with his hand. But Kagome had heard…

"As he did what?" she inquired, looking suspiciously at both of them. Then she noticed how Kagura really seemed to be in trouble now, her hands clawing away at Sesshoumaru's hand as she had accidentally let her fan fall earlier.

"Sesshoumaru!" she cried, running towards them. "You'll kill her if you don't stop." She tried to pry his hand of the woman with her tiny ones, but it was only because he let go that Kagura was able to breathe again, not because she managed to make him stop with her strength… which was hardly worth anything.

The woman fell to the ground again, her hair now completely disordered and her throat bruised. "You bastard!" she fumed at an unfazed Sesshoumaru. "That girl," she pointed with a shaky finger at Kagome. "Is much more than you will _ever _deserve!"

Kagome watched in fascination how the youkai pulled a feather out of her hair and turned it into a large one, jumping on it and quickly ascending into the air. But Kagura wasn't done yet.

"And I will never understand," she called at Kagome. "How you can stand to be in a relationship with _him_, but I hope you are happy!"

And then she was gone.

Leaving a _very_ red faced Kagome and a positively enraged Sesshoumaru behind. But people weren't done with screaming at her yet, Kagome soon became to realize as Sesshoumaru now turned on her. Not that he screamed, but if he had been anyone else, he would've done just that.

"Next time," he said, towering over her. "You will stay inside your room after the sun goes down _and_ you will not meddle again with what only concerns _me_."

"How can you possibly expect me to just stand by and watch how you kill her?" she countered.

"That woman has already killed enough people, no one would care if she would be gone. But if it satisfies you, I wasn't planning on killing her just yet."

"Oh yes," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "I forgot... how could I? Sesshoumaru the mass murderer!"

"Watch your tongue," he sneered.

"No, I won't do it any longer!" she stated. "You said it yourself! And now we're at it, I think I can join the party."

He frowned then. "What do you mean?"

"Oh well, don't you think I am a murderer too then?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"You," he chuckled. "You can't even hurt a fly."

"Ah so you forgot already," she whispered. "You don't remember, do you? Those two youkai that were after Shippou? I killed them! So, wouldn't I be a murderer then?"

"That was self defence."

"But the only thing that matters is that I killed!" she cried out. "And just like I'm not evil because of that, you aren't either! So if you ever object to me trusting you again, I'll … I'll… I don't know what I'll do…"

"You're hopeless," he sighed and to her anger, he turned, fully intend on walking away _again_.

"See, there you go again! Walking away! How am I ever going to understand how that brain of yours works when you walk out on me?" she couldn't help it, she was crying again. "Or what you think of me…" she added in a low whisper.

She failed to notice how he had stopped once he heard that, instead, she was looking down at her hands, watching how her tears fell. "One minute you break my arm or bruise it, then you are rescuing me from some spy or… or…" she swallowed. "Why did you do that when you left? Why?" God did she feel like a stupid little child now, but she couldn't stop.

Another flash lit up the area and she was shocked to find Sesshoumaru directly in front of her. But before she could do anything, he had bent down and claimed her lips. He was kissing her rather hard and it didn't last long, but it was enough to make her legs go all weak. And then he pressed his cheek against hers and whispered his answer to her.

"I _don't_ know."

And for the second time he left her outside, in the cold and crying.

* * *

Elven castle, Southern lands

Kikyou was raised from her troubled sleep – in fact, she had been having a nightmare in which Kagome died - by a loud banging on her door.

Five minutes later, she found herself in what had once been a throne room, thunder and lighting outside, looking down on a youkai with dark hair and pitch black eyes, soaked to the bone from the rain.

A messenger… but from whom?

He extended a letter towards her, miraculously the only thing that hadn't been soaked. She opened it and quickly read the contents, her heart fluttering with joy and anxiety at the same time.

She paced around the youkai, answering his challenging gaze with one of her own. "_How_," she inquired. "Does your master know that we have this castle in our hands again!"

The youkai shrugged, a lazy, boyish grin on his handsome face. "He doesn't… he just gave me orders to find you, whatever it took to find you and give you this message…" he eyed the stormy sky outside with an angry look. "I must say, that weather made me expect the worse. But then I come here and what a surprise… everyone is gone and the elves are ruling again… but at least that made it quite easy for me."

"Yeah well I suppose it does," Kikyou muttered, her thoughts already on the letter again.

It appeared that Sesshoumaru was the one who had her sister… and he was inviting her to a meeting with him… at his castle. But there was no doubt in her mind as to what she would do. He did have her sister after all.

Even if it was a stupid trap, she would go.

* * *

Argggh I can't believe how much bad luck I have! I finished this chapter within two days and then I send it to my beta and… guess what? My email isn't sending anything and hers isn't receiving anything… but here we are, more than a month later and finally, here is chapter 19… I hope you enjoyed reading :P And as usually, thank you all for reviewing!

MorbidGal22: The romance will come, don't worry… and you know how he reacted in this chapter :P

Lady Lydia: Yep, it's Naraku… pretty obvious really :P But killing his father is not the only thing he did… but now I'm saying too much… anyway, Shippou is still with the elves, but there will be more of him and Rin in the next chapter.

Slayergrl001: Wow, sounds like I would want to trade with you… So, what language do you want me to speak:P I know Dutch, German, French, English, Latin and Greek and from a whole bunch of other language enough to survive while I am staying there … or enough to read some of it with the knowledge I have from other languages :P Sounds like you saw a lot of the world :P Istanbul huh? My best friend is from Turkey :D And I know people in Tunesia too… Funny… I'm Dutch by the way… if you wondered hehe :D

Zeppelinsgirlalways: Yes, right now there's more fluff in order… I know :D Led Zeppelin? Not really, sorry :P

Amin Vanima Mellonea: Don't worry, you weren't the last to review… Funny poem! I'll admit I'm not that good at those… it's alright in my own language but English…nah… hey, what would you say if I put your little poem at the top of this chapter:P with your name beneath it of course… god my friends would laugh their heads off if I ever proclaimed I wrote a poem… hehe…

RedButterfly-1216: Oh yes, A killing perfection… that site is still down isn't it? I didn't have the time to read much on that site, sorry… do you have your story on other sites too? And a Single Spark yes… the story is still on that one too..

Ele: Genau, wieviele Cliffhanger kann man einbauen… Ich weiss… Es ist nur, ich finde es immer so unglaublich lustig wie manchen Leute darüber herfallen oder frustriert werden... Und ich kann dir versichern, einige waren ziemlich frustriert... es währe eine Idee mit den ersten Kapiteln anzufangen, aber mach dir kein Stress, soweit ich weiss hab' ich keine Eile :P es ist nicht schlimm wenn du mal keine Zeit hast oder so... du weisst ja mittlerweile schon wie ungehauer langsam ich sein kann :D befor ich es vergesse, eine email adresse wäre schon eine idee. Wenn du urgendetwas fertig hast, egal was, kannst du's hierhin schicken: I don't know yet when they are going to confess their feelings… but I don't intend to wait long with that :P

Churry: I'd say there wasn't too much of Naraku in this chapter and the last one… mmm… I guess there will be more later… and he's going to be evil.

Sakura Blossom-Cilla-85: Oh yes, Naraku is going to die… but I'm not gonna tell who's going to do it yet…

Shezel: Uhm… I don't know where you can't find the Inuyasha category? Sorry, maybe I'm just acting like a stupid blonde again but I didn't really get your question…sorry :P Glad you found the story again ;)

Liberatedmysterygirl: Wow… you're just like me… if I read something and I can't stop I'll read day and night…

Sessoumaru-Sama's Girl: Yep… who else would it be? grins

Dah: Yeah, did you notice how a lot of things are almost similar to the original, but just a bit different? Like, Shippou's parents are killed and he's being chased, but Kagome's kills the Thunder Brothers and not Inuyasha… or the Shikon no Tama is still shattered, but not at the beginning… or Sesshoumaru who gets captured… normally it's always the other way round… I was getting sick of that :P yeah I think it's funny to remodel the story again… the ending is going to be a tiny bit different too… but I'm not saying anything…

Snowball & her identical twin: hehe… I don't think I have to write a death scene anymore…

TiA aRiEl: Oh well it's not really a 'secret' garden… but who cares :P


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